


we might be dead (but there's nothing wrong)

by theunluckybreak



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Anal Sex, Arranged Marriage, Blood Drinking, Bonding, Claiming, Consent Issues, EVERYONE IS MARRIED, M/M, Male Slash, Mating, Mating Rituals, Multi, Multi-marriage, OT5, Oral Sex, Orgy, Overstimulation, Prince Niall, Princes & Princesses, Prophecy, Rimming, Rough Sex, Royalty, Sex Dreams, Vampires, aw yeah, courting?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-11
Updated: 2013-09-17
Packaged: 2017-12-23 03:40:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 33,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/921563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theunluckybreak/pseuds/theunluckybreak
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Niall's the Prince of Horan, the human child of vampires, the future High Vampire and something others like to call the 'Chosen One'. He's also destined to spend the rest of his days with four vampires chosen by a prophecy. Niall isn't very impressed with any of this.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write OT5 smut and instead a wrote a huge fucking story. Oh, well.

“I don’t do prophecies well”, Louis says, almost complains, but his voice is still light enough for it to seem like he’s only stating a simple fact. 

He’s casually slumped down in the red sofa, arms spread wide over the backrest, and he doesn’t seem to give a care of where he is and why he’s there. 

“What do you mean ‘you don’t do prophecies well’?” the vampire with the darkest hair of them all – Liam remembers his name being Zayn, from somewhere – asks in a deep voice, only a low, vibrating murmur. 

He leans his forearms heavily on his thighs and clasps his hands together, eyes focused on Louis, waiting for an explanation. 

“I’m just saying”, Louis says with a nonchalant shrug. “I don’t to them well.”

Liam would normally not bother to listen to a conversation of stupidity such as this one, but he can smell something in the air – blood – and he figures it’s better if he concentrates on the conversation than his own, slowly watering, mouth. 

“Have you ever been part of a prophecy before?” Zayn questions and frowns, probably just as much doubting Louis’ statement like the rest of them. 

Louis’ eyes narrows into tiny slits and he smiles like he has a secret he won’t ever share with anyone. It’s a bit condescending, actually, and Liam notices Zayn’s instant glare. 

“Maybe I have, maybe I haven’t. It’s none of your business, anyway”, he says and his smile widens slightly. 

Zayn shakes his head and seems to give up the conversation, but Liam won’t let it go as easily. There’s just something about the tone of Louis’s voice – like he knows all and has seen all – that irritates him. 

“Do you even realize where you are? You should consider yourself honoured”, he says, because no, it’s not every day you’re invited to a castle owned by royals. It’s not every day someone brings you a prophecy with tales and future stories of yourself and the Prince of Horan. 

“Oh, shut up Liam”, Harry says and finally speaks up. “It’s not like you’re as incredibly honoured to be here either.”

It’s been ten years since Liam last saw Harry and he has almost forgotten just how much Harry hates him. Out of the four of them, Harry and Liam are the only ones who have ever met each other before. Harry was even a part of Liam’s coven for a while, before he left and formed his own. Harry’s coven was young, but growing with power and it’s a shame, Liam has to admit, that Harry’s been forced to leave it all behind for this. It’s highly noticeable that the younger vampire likes this just as little as Louis does. 

“This is the home of the King and Queen of Horan. They’re two of the oldest vampires existing in this world, apart from the High Vampiress. Of course I’m honoured to be here”, Liam bites back in a rough growl and Louis laughs from the sofa opposite him. He even claps his hands, like this is some kind of live action-comedy. 

“Wow, you two sure share some unresolved feelings and sexual tension. What, did you promise your everlasting love and he only responded by fucking you? Is that why you left and made your own coven?”

The four of them might be from different parts of the country, leading different covens and never met properly, but they still know who they are and they still know a lot of each other’s backstories. All covens are natural enemies, even if they live peacefully side by side, and it’s always necessary to know all details about the so-called families – especially concerning their leaders. 

They don’t answer Louis’ questions, because all that belongs in the past and it shouldn’t be brought up again. Especially not now and not here. 

Zayn taps his foot, like he’s a bit stressed out or like he’s tired of waiting, and it’s strange coming from a vampire. It’s rare of them to ever get stressed. 

“Can’t you smell that?” he suddenly wonders and glances up at them. “What is that?”

“Blood”, Liam answers and can barely hold back his fangs from dropping. 

The smell is mouth-watering, sweet and irresistible. He’s been trying to occupy his mind with other things, afraid he might lose control if the smell gets too strong, but he’s noticing his attempts at being distracted are failing. 

“I actually smelled it miles from here”, Harry confesses and looks a bit uncertain and worried. They all look at Louis, expecting him to lie and tell them he doesn’t feel it at all, but instead he grimaces and nods. 

“Yeah, I smell it too. What does it mean?”

“It means the prophecy is true. It’s his blood. Normal blood doesn’t smell this much.”

Louis doesn’t look very satisfied with that conclusion, but he can’t possibly think differently of it being true as he bites into the insides of his cheeks like he’s trying to control himself from going mad with the bloodlust. 

“So, what? Are we supposed to court him now or something?” he wonders, like he can’t keep controlling his own curiosity anymore and he has to drop his act and find out all the answers. 

“You heard the prophecy”, Harry answers. “We’re his and he is ours. The human child. The Prince of Horan. The chosen one. The future High Vampire.”

“He’s a seventeen-year-old boy”, Liam says slowly and focuses on a spot on the red, thick carpet in the room – probably just as expensive as the rest of the things in it. “How will we deal with him?”

None of the others offer any ideas, because they’re all just as clueless. They’re all vampires driven by bloodlust, power and their own instincts. How can they possibly handle a seventeen-year-old?

There’s a sudden knock on the door and their silence is interrupted by a servant entering the room. “The King and Queen will see you now.”

They glance at each other and get up from their seats. Soft violin music can be heard somewhere in the distance. 

-

The Prince of Horan – Niall, as his parents named him – has known since he was eleven and started showing interests in both females and males and asked curious questions about love, that he is spoken for. He has known ever since then that he is supposed to marry on his eighteenth birthday to a suitor chosen by a prophecy. Never did he think the prophecy would give him _four_ suitors to marry. 

His parents were pleased with the future the prophecy foretold because Niall, being such a special boy, should be as much protected and looked after as possible. Niall doesn’t feel very special, to be honest. He’s of royal blood, a human child to vampires, the future High Vampire and something others like to call ‘The Chosen One’. He should feel special, but he doesn’t. He’s got no superpowers, no strengths and there’s nothing telling him how he’s supposed to unite the humans with the vampires in the future and end long-going hate and war. He’s only seventeen, only a simple boy, and it won’t be long until he’s eighteen and the prophecy will come true, and he isn’t ready for it. 

He’s supposed to be turned as well – to die and become a creature of the night – and he isn’t entirely sure he wants that. There are certain privileges of being human, like eating food for instance. Sure, he can stuff himself with food as a vampire as well, but it won’t be the same and it won’t taste anything anymore. And that’s only one of the things, and a thing he’ll miss very much, when turning into a vampire. 

He doesn’t want to get married either, at least not like this. He wants to meet someone and fall in love, not get forced into a relationship with four strangers. As the Prince of Horan and the future High Vampire, it’s important for him to marry and be claimed, Niall is aware of that. There are other vampires out there, without the nicest of intentions, who want to claim him as well and use him to get more power. Niall knows this is true for a fact as there have been vampires showing interest in courting him and claiming him. Some didn’t even bother to ask nicely, but tried to kidnap him instead. That’s a part of his life he never wishes to relive again.

This day is important due to all that. It’s important he gets suitors who want to protect him and take care of him – vampires who’ll always be by his side. Someone like him can’t be given away to anyone. 

The preparations for his first meeting with his four future husbands have been going on for days, weeks even. Niall hasn’t been paying much attention to any of it, except bothering to remember the four vampires’ names. The rest of the information has been stored away somewhere deep within his mind and almost forgotten due to his nerves. He has had the act of mating, claiming and even turning explained to him in utter detail by experts, and of course all of that managed to stay remembered by his brain. In fact, those three things are basically the only things occupying his mind right now. That and his forced wedding. 

He’s been locked inside his room the whole day, trying to figure out ways to escape all this. Running away is sadly not an option as he will be found by his scent, or he’ll find himself in yet another danger with vampires wanting to claim him. He has yelled at his parents and vowed never to speak with them again if they put him through this, but their belief in the prophecy is adamant and therefore nothing he says matters. 

“Smile, love”, his mother says softly next to him and brushes her fingers through his hair quickly, in need of his forgiving. 

Out of his parents, she was the one who almost, _almost,_ relented to his threat of never speaking to them again if they forced him to marry. She knows he’s mad and she hates it. He pulls away from her hand and doesn’t obey her wish to show happiness. He feels ridiculous sitting here on a throne next to his mother, who’s sitting next to his father, and be dressed up like this. Pretty for strangers. 

The doors to their great halls open, Niall can feel the nausea rise again – butterflies fighting a brave war inside his stomach – and his hands get clammy, his body feels like it’s shaking and his face goes red. 

One of their servants walks through the doors first, followed by four boys who Niall guesses should be in his own age except for the fact that they’re vampires and in reality much older than they look. Niall stares at them, a complete wreck right now and, no, he just caught one of the boys’ eyes. He stares down at his lap quickly and only dares to glance up at them when they have approached the throne and are kneeling at the front. 

“Welcome”, his father says loudly and the four vampires stand up again. 

Niall’s gaze slides over them, studying them closely and hoping they won’t notice, and every time one of them looks back he looks away. Shit. They are his future husbands. 

“I’m sure you’ve already been informed of why you’re here, but I’d like to bring it up once again”, his father – the King – says. “Thousands of years ago a prophecy concerning the four of you and my son was discovered. It’s been resting, unspoken and unopened, for many years until recently when it was opened by the High Vampiress herself. We’ve all heard the prophecy of you and my son, bound together for eternity. You are five parts who together will make a whole.”

The King silences and Niall digs his nails into the armrests of his chair. He has to hold on to something. Out of the corner of his eye, the boy with brown, curly hair squirms a bit on his spot and Niall can’t help but frown at him. What’s wrong with him?

“You are meant to be there for my son, the Prince of Horan, the human child of vampires, the future High Vampire and The Chosen One and be his protectors. In return he will love, cherish and obey you.”

Niall wishes he didn’t have that many titles. Soon he will lose one – the human child of vampires – as he will be turned into one of them. He wonders why he should be proud of that title when he’s only going to lose it eventually. 

_Love, cherish and obey._ At the end of that, the vampire with red pants and a dark jacket turns his gaze slightly, slightly to the left and finds Niall’s. He’s got wild, brown hair and eyes narrowed into intimidating slits. He looks like a demon, or a devil maybe, and Niall swallows hard. He desperately wants to look away from the boy, standing tall like a soldier receiving orders, but he simply can’t. 

“You are to claim Niall as yours in only two days’ time. The act will be shown on live television for all the world’s vampires to see that the Prince of Horan is taken and not to be touched. The wedding will occur on Niall’s eighteenth birthday – the day he comes of age and his bond to us is cut. You will take him as your mate and be his makers”, his father says and luckily that makes the boy’s gaze shift away from him again.

Niall’s cheeks burn and the curly-haired vampire squirms again. 

They are to claim him the day after tomorrow? He stops breathing. Why hasn’t he been told of this before? 

“Do you agree to this, here, today, by the throne of Horan?” 

Niall silently wonders why no one asked him whether he agreed to this. He has only been told that this is what he’s supposed to do and no one has bothered to ask if this is what he really wants. They probably don’t want to ask as they know the answer will be a strong no. 

“Yes”, the four vampires answer in unison, without any hesitation, without any questions. 

They’ve been sworn in and now there’s no turning back. He is to marry them now, whether he wants to or not. They are now officially betrothed in front of the holy court of Horan. Tomorrow it will be released publicly and the day after that everyone will be able to see his claiming ceremony on TV. There’s a lump in Niall’s throat and he swears it won’t ever disappear no matter how hard he swallows. 

His father laughs warmly, and Niall can notice his mother smile kindly next to him. They’re happy and pleased. Everything has worked out as they imagined. 

“You will get to stay here in the castle and get to know Niall better”, the King says and takes his wife’s hand in his. “We’ll be delighted to have our son’s future husbands as guests.”

The four vampires bow their heads in gratitude and Niall can’t describe how embarrassing this situation is and how impressed he is that they still want to marry him after seeing him being a complete wreck like this. 

Niall thinks it’s over and he thinks they’re going to leave now and let him go hide for a few days, but no. They suddenly, without a word, line up to his throne with the boy with gentle, brown eyes and soft-looking hair at the front. 

He takes a few steady steps up to him, says “Hi. I’m Liam”, and places a kiss on his cheek. 

His lips are cool and soothing against his burning flesh. It’s relieving in a way and comforting, and for one tiny second Niall wants his lips to stay a bit longer on his cheek. But then he remembers that he doesn’t want any of this and ignores the great feeling. 

The next one is the boy with curly hair. He seems a bit stiff when he walks up and tells Niall that his name is Harry. 

“I’m looking forward to getting to know you better”, he says politely and seems to mean it too. He presses a lingering kiss to his cheek, nose scraping against his cheekbone, and Niall desperately wants to know what’s up with him. 

The third is the boy he first locked eyes with – hair dark as night and cheekbones sharp as knives. He smiles and reveals his name to be Zayn. He kisses Niall on his temple instead, stubble tickling his cheek a little and making him smile foolishly. 

Niall has almost forgotten who’s left and then he sees a smirk, and it’s the demon, the devil. He bends down to his ear, breathes into it softly and waits for Niall’s goose bumps to rise. 

“Hi, Niall. I’m Louis”, he whispers and his lips brushes a kiss against his cheek as he leans back, but Niall freezes and can feel a sly, unnoticeable tongue slip out and graze his cheek as well. 

He stares at Louis with big, childish eyes and Louis pretends like nothing. He joins the others and together they exit the room with the servant who calls for them to follow him to receive their rooms. 

Niall thinks he’s part of some stupid reality-TV show, like The Bachelor, except he’s not supposed to win one heart, but everyone’s.  
His own heart beats quickly, the butterflies still fighting a battle within him, and his whole body just feels strange. He excuses himself quietly and leaves for his room. He needs to hide. 

-

“I don’t do prophecies well”, Zayn mimics and laughs. He shakes his head, still smiling, and lights a cigarette in their joint lounging room. 

Louis grins and shrugs. 

“What can I say? I can’t help he turned out to be an angel begging to be taken, used and violated. That boy needs to get on his hands and knees and obey some orders”, he says and licks his lips. “Did you see his face after I kissed his cheek? Could you feel his emotions as well?”

“You shouldn’t talk about him like that”, Liam mutters and sends Louis a disapproving look. 

Zayn thinks Liam is slightly jealous of the reaction Louis received from Niall, and is only trying to disguise it as chivalry and being respectful. A lot of emotions could be felt in the great hall, most of them coming from Niall, and for most of the time they were almost overwhelming to bear. It felt like electricity in the air, dancing, teasing and driving their minds crazy with want and bloodlust. 

“Don’t try and tell me you didn’t feel it as well”, Louis objects and stares at Liam’s back. 

Liam turns away from the window and slumps down in a sofa next to Harry, who has remained strangely quiet after the meeting.

“Of course I did, but I don’t go around telling everyone what I wish to do to him because of that.”

Zayn breathes out smoke, needing something to take the edge off, and he tries to relax and not think about the buzzing in his head. They should get some alcohol – alcohol is always good to keep the bloodlust down. 

“Don’t be ashamed, Liam”, Louis sing-songs sweetly. “It’s not like you’re the one with the naughtiest daydreams. Just ask Harold here instead what he’d like to do with little, innocent, virginal Niall.”

Both Zayn and Liam look at Harry, but he doesn’t say anything. He grits his teeth and seems to have a hard time sitting still, continuously squirming around in his seat and playing with his hands. 

“Come on, Harry”, Louis prompts. “Tell the boys what you want to do to our precious Niall. It’s not like we can’t feel it on you anyway.”

Zayn exhales smoke again and frowns, realizing what exactly it is that Harry wants. Harry’s the youngest vampire among them and because of that he’s got a harder time to control his bloodlust. 

“You want to kill him”, he states and is impressed by how his voice has already turned protective. 

Harry quickly shakes his head guiltily. “No. No, I just- I just want to, um. I just want to sink my teeth into his white, milky flesh and suck his bones dry while I fuck him”, he breathes out and hides his face in his hands. 

A low, dark chuckle escapes Louis and he seems impressed with Harry’s answer, but Liam shakes his head.

“We need to be careful with him. The King and Queen will have our heads, no matter any prophecy, if we hurt him or even touch him really.”

“But we _will_ hurt and touch him. In two days, actually”, Louis interjects. “We are claiming him on Tuesday, in front of the whole world. We will, at the same fucking time, sink our teeth into his neck and drink his blood. Now, am I the only one who thinks Harry won’t be able to control himself and might really harm Niall – do the hurt and touch Liam is hinting at?”

“I won’t kill him”, Harry objects moodily, but by the sound of his voice he himself doesn’t even believe that. 

Zayn blows his last puff of smoke out and stubs his cigarette out. Yeah, he definitely sees what Louis is hinting at. If Harry loses his control and harms Niall seriously, then they all will be hunted for eternity. They need to do something to teach Harry to control himself better. 

“I’ve heard Niall is visiting the High Vampiress tomorrow. She is to give her proper consent. Maybe we should come with him, let Harry get at least a tiny bit used to Niall?” Zayn suggests. 

“Isn’t he going with his parents, though?” Harry wonders, doubt evident in his voice. 

“Does it matter? We’re betrothed now. We should be the ones to come with him, not his parents. It’s our thing now, to be by his side”, Zayn rambles quickly, already feeling some of the buzzing in his head with the hope of spending some alone-time with Niall. “We should ask their permission to bring him on our own.”

Liam thinks on it for a bit and then shakes his head. “Niall won’t agree to it.”

“Who gives a fuck?” Louis blurts harshly with perhaps a bit of frustration. “Love, cherish and obey, wasn’t it? We should get what’s ours.”

Harry nods slowly, probably wishing to be as prepared as possible for the claiming ceremony to prevent himself from doing anything stupid. Like actually kill Niall. 

Liam still looks a bit uncertain, like he hates the idea of putting pressure on the Prince like this and not letting him choose if he wants to spend time with them. But it’s still three against one, so Liam has to agree to the idea anyway. 

“It’s better than horseback-riding in the sunset and sitting by a camp fire trading life stories”, Louis says and actually seems like he’s trying to cheer Liam up. 

Liam snorts a small laugh and Zayn knows that deep inside of him it’s more the bloodlust and the beast that’s controlling him than he himself. Acting like a perfect gentleman will soon be useless and his own instincts will soon take over. It’s the same for all of them, and it seems like Louis is the only one who has already agreed to those terms. 

-

Niall dreams of four vampires whispering his name in his ear and licking his skin. He dreams of blood and power, and a future so dark that he forces himself to wake up. He’s breathing heavily, completely soaked in sweat – heart beating like he’s been running from wild animals. 

He’s also painfully hard. 

“Shit”, he breathes in the early morning, room dark with the earliest of sunrays fighting their way through the dark curtains. 

He presses a hand down on his dick, hoping he can will his erection away, but it won’t work. He’s too hot, too tingly in his body and his heart won’t slow down. 

It’s too early. He shouldn’t be reacting to them like this already – he hasn’t even been claimed yet. It’s not until after you’ve been claimed that you get the wet dreams and overactive libido, at least that’s what one of his teachers has told him. 

He grips at his covers, groans loudly in frustration and grits his teeth as he tries to make his hard-on go away on pure, selfish will. His cock aches so badly and it’s hot and sticky when he finally pushes a hand down his underwear. He whines as he starts stroking carefully, his whole lower stomach almost numb with the nerves and tingling sensations, and he thinks he must’ve been hard for hours. 

He throws his head back into his pillow, bites into his lip and hisses through the pain and pleasure. He strokes quicker, his eyes closing and his mind going blurry. Their faces appear in his head and he can’t make them go away. It’s dreaming of them which got him this hard and he supposes it’s imagining them that will finish him off. He goes a bit slower, tries to find some breath and gather some strength, lets his finger slide over his slit. He arches into his own hand, sees eyes of a demon, curly hair, cheekbones sharp as knives and a smile to set the Earth on fire. 

“Fuck”, he whines, drags the word out, like a bitch in heat and hopes no one hears him. 

He turns himself on his side, buries his face in his pillow and bites down on it. His hand works quicker now, eyes almost tearing up because of the ache and he breathes air roughly through his nose. He passes the edge, shoots his load in his hand and eases the bite on his pillow. He gasps for air a few times and tries to get his breathing back to normal. His mind feels like heaven and his eyelashes are wet. He swipes a hand over his sticky forehead and the hand covered with cum gets wiped on the covers. 

Blissful exhaustion takes his body and pulls him back into a deep, deep sleep. When he wakes up a few hours later, his room is filled with sunlight and his body is perfectly relaxed. 

It feels like everything he built up emotionally yesterday has been let out. It’s a new day, possibly far away from his four vampire betrothals. He’s seeing the High Vampiress in her garden of cherry blossom, for probably the thousand time, and she is to give him her own personal consent to the claiming and marriage. 

He gets up, takes a shower and makes himself ready. His most trusted servant takes care of his messy bed sheets in the meantime. The servant looks a bit pale and distracted while he makes Niall’s bed and Niall considers asking him if something’s wrong, but forgets all about it as soon as his stomach rumbles and screams for food. Once again he’s reminded of how much he’ll miss food when he’s been turned. He won’t ever forgive his future husbands for taking away the love of food from him. Ever. 

The castle is strangely quiet and it’s not usual for early mornings. The King and Queen often have meetings with their consultants during the mornings, up until when their son awakens and they instead make him company during breakfast. Today it’s deadly quiet and Niall fears something really horrible has happened. He enters the dining hall and finds three vampires sitting by the large table – not touching any of the delicious food displayed – and he thinks of turning back to his room and come back later when they’ve left. But something feels very wrong, the one with curly hair, Harry, is missing and he suddenly really wants to know where he is. 

Liam turns his head and looks at him, eyes serious, and he silently hypnotizes Niall to come join them by the table. He takes a seat next to Liam, but doesn’t dare to touch the food. The vampires have already eaten, their cups of blood are openly empty in front of them with small drops of blood left as a memory of their meal on the glass. Niall swallows thickly. 

“Where’s, um, Harry?” he mumbles and looks at them uneasily, almost embarrassed to show concern, and hating to disrupt the heavy silence. 

“He’s locked into his room”, Zayn says with some kind of authority in his voice and face expressionless. “He needs some time to cool off.”

“Why?” Niall wonders and frowns. Has he been in some kind of argument with his parents? Is that why they’re not there?

“You touched yourself”, Louis says, voice almost dead and without any emotion at all. It sounds dangerous and murderous coming from Louis. Niall hates it. 

His head goes immediately red and he stares at them with big eyes, not understanding how they found out. He tried to be quiet. “W-what-“

“Niall, please don’t blush like that”, Liam murmurs next to him, almost like a warning, and Niall glares at him. It’s not like he can help it. He can’t help that Louis is trying to humiliate him right now. 

But Louis doesn’t even seem to listen or bother about the blushing. He gets up from his chair, or no, he _kicks it back across the room_ and then stands up properly. 

The chair crashes and breaks loudly against the wall behind and Niall jumps. The others don’t seem to care and suddenly he feels very small and very scared – uncomfortable with the thick air of violence and anger in the room. 

Louis walks around the table and Niall thinks about running for his life before his life is ended, but he remains rooted to his seat like something inside of him knows that’s what he’s supposed to do right now. 

Louis stops next to him, one hand on the backrest of Niall’s chair and the other on the table, leans in and almost completely traps him to his spot. On his other side is Liam, making sure he stays put. 

“Did you honestly think we wouldn’t notice you touching yourself?” Louis wonders, voice low and intimidating and only inches from his ear. “Have you ever heard of anything called control? No? Well, because of your lack of control this morning, Harry – driven insane with bloodlust and _want_ , as we all were – killed one of your servants.”

The three of them stare at him, Zayn’s head tilted to the side, Louis hovering next to him and Liam on the other side, and they wait for Niall to say something, to explain, but he can’t possibly explain. There’s nothing he can say. 

“I’m- I don’t- I couldn’t help it”, he mumbles and feels stupid and ashamed, but at least he’s telling the truth. “I had a dream. It’s too early for the dreams, but I still had one. And I just couldn’t leave it like that. It _ached_.”

Louis sends the others a glance and then sinks down closer, if possible, and his features soften slightly. “Tell us about this dream, then”, he demands. 

Niall’s face flushes even fiercer and he’s sure the heat radiates from his face, it must be. He bites his lower lip and studies his hands extremely closely, fighting the urge to actually look up. 

He feels a tiny bit responsible for the death, yes, but there wasn’t really anything else he could do. He had to get some release somehow and it’s not like he knew the consequences of it. 

Isn’t it enough that they already know, could fucking feel it and everything, that he wanked off? Does he really have to tell them about the dream as well?

“It was about the four of you”, he confesses and closes his eyes shut tightly, almost seeing the dream in his head again. “You were whispering my name.”

“And?” Louis pushes and of course they know there’s more. They can probably tell he’s keeping parts away only by listening to his heart, hear it skip a few beats and suddenly beat faster, harder. Stupid vampire advantages. 

“And licking my skin. And there was blood and stuff, and yeah.”

He shivers to the memory of the dream, and expects the strange vampires to laugh and make fun of him. Sex dreams and being unable to control himself? Pathetic. Only children are that incapable to keep their dicks down. 

He waits for them to start mocking him, but they don’t, and instead Louis smiles and seems pleased. 

He pushes his mouth into Niall’s ear, really into it and skin touch skin, and whispers: “Oh, my Prince, you should be spanked, _hard_ , for all this. Promise us you won’t ever do it again.”

The whisper vibrates through his whole body, making his skin crawl and Niall tells himself it crawls by feeling bad rather than good. And it’s a lie. 

He thinks of how hard and aching he was this morning, how impossible it was to get control and get his dick down. 

“I’m not sure I can do that”, he says quietly and feels even more embarrassed right now, but it’s the truth and it’s all he can offer. 

This was his first dream and he hasn’t even been claimed yet. His body is not supposed to react to the four vampires yet as there is no real bond between them made. The sex dreams come with the claiming and he has no way of explaining how and why they have already begun for him. He remembers the dream and quickly wonders just how intense his dreams will get when he’s claimed and the thought worries him. 

“Try”, Liam says. 

“But what if I have another dream and I can’t control it? It won’t just go away without being attended to and you will probably go as crazy as I will.”

 _It_ , being his dick and _attended to_ being wanking himself off, but he won’t say those words out loud to strangers. No matter any betrothals, dreams and futures. 

Zayn shakes his head, leaning his head on his knuckles. “We should be the ones attending to it.”

“But you can’t attend to anything until the mating ceremony and that’s not until after the wedding.”

Heat pools in the lower pit of his stomach at the thought and mention of the mating ceremony. It’s not that far away – the third ceremony occurring after the claiming and wedding – and he can’t help but imagine how the boys will be like when they finally are to fuck him. Vampires can be a bit rough in bed, and that fact scares Niall a little. He’s still only a blushing virgin – a horny, blushing virgin – and his inexperience would make him nervous with only a normal boy. To imagine his first time will be with four vampires is, actually, unimaginable. 

The boys look at each other, like they’re reading each other’s minds and are coming to a silent agreement, and Niall has never felt as left out and powerless before. 

“If it’s absolutely necessary, then you can sort yourself out”, Louis finally says after a stretched-out silence. “We’ll just have to restrain ourselves somehow.”

Niall doesn’t say anything, because he doesn’t feel like being grateful and thanking them for getting to this conclusion. It’s his dreams and his body, he should be able to do whatever he wants.

Louis suddenly rakes fingers through his hair with a tiny, teasing smirk on his lips as if he has read Niall’s mind and knows he loves when someone plays with his hair. 

“You’re not supposed to touch me at all, you know”, Niall reminds both him and himself. He doesn’t know whether he’s disappointed or glad by that fact, maybe both. 

Louis’ hand stills and he grins and gives Niall’s hair a slight, malicious tug. “Not _supposed_ to”, he repeats, but lets go of his hair nevertheless. 

He jumps up on the table next to Niall and swings his legs like a schoolgirl. Niall frowns and feels confused by the situation. Aren’t they mad? A second ago it seemed like Louis was going to rip his throat out and now he’s smiling and petting his hair. He looks at Liam and Zayn, looking for signs to explain what is happening right now, but they also look a bit over the whole thing. 

“You’re not mad anymore”, he states. 

Niall knows that thanks to their animalistic side, their feelings are sometimes a bit overdramatic. But this change in their mood is close to bipolar, Niall is sure. 

Louis only shrugs and no one offers any real explanation. His actions caused damage – someone got killed – and he feels bad for it. He does get why they would be mad at him, but not why they’re letting it go all of a sudden this easily. 

“Where are my parents?” he wonders and remembers their lack of presence in the castle. His stomach rumbles again and he decides to dare and reach for some toast and pour tea into his cup. If they decide to get mad again and kill him, then at least he’ll die without a hunger. 

“They’re away, dealing with the death. Both publicly and privately”, Liam tells him. 

Niall bites into his toast, feeling only slightly awkward to have the guys watching him so closely. For many years it’s only been his parents sitting here with him and waiting for him to eat himself full. It feels strange to have such a private and intimate moment invaded by vampires who are not his parents, but he guesses this is how his future will look like and he better get used to it. 

“Did they get mad at Harry?” he wonders and feels bad again. He wouldn’t want anyone to be punished for an accident he was the cause of. 

“It wasn’t that bad. He’ll live. Or not”, Louis says and grins at his own bad joke. 

Niall decides not to say anything, because whatever he’ll say won’t be an apology to them, and he’s kind of sure they want him to get on his knees and beg for forgiveness. And he won’t do that because he doesn’t feel like he actually owes them anything. He didn’t choose all this. 

He eats in silence with the three boys watching him carefully. It’s unnerving to have them staring like this, like he’s got jelly and bread crumbs around his mouth. It’s different with his parents, because they’ll love him no matter how messy he gets when he eats, but Liam, Zayn and Louis are boys Niall’s dreamt of and feels a slightly, underlying sexual attraction to and he just doesn’t like it when they stare. He wonders if they would leave him alone if he asked them to, but has a strong feeling they wouldn’t, so he keeps silent. 

Suddenly, Harry walks into the dining hall and Niall almost drops his cup of tea when he sees the big, unhealed, bloody wound on his arm, made by fangs. 

Vampires usually heal from any wound and the only things known to actually kill them are silver bullets, beheading – the sun isn’t their best of friends, but they can manage it – and vampires older than themselves. Somewhere in the back of Niall’s mind, among the things he chose to forget when he was given a load of facts about his future husbands, he remembers that Harry is the youngest of the vampires. Any of the other three could’ve done this too him – maybe to try and stop him from killing the servant – but Niall has a feeling that’s not it. The wound looks like a punishment. The older the vampire who gave the wound to you is, the more it hurts. It’ll eventually heal, but it’ll take time. 

“Look who’s out”, Louis beams and Harry takes a seat by the table. 

He doesn’t mind the broken chair in the back of the room, and Niall guesses he has heard all conversations and everything that’s happened in here while he’s been locked into his room. At least Harry doesn’t look as squirmy like he did yesterday and perhaps he’s found some better control of himself. He feels stupid for not getting that he and the smell of his blood was the reason Harry was a bit restless yesterday and he knows it must be hardest on Harry, due to being the youngest, to control himself around Niall and he feels slightly bad for him because of it. 

“Did my father do that to you?” Niall asks and can’t tear his eyes away from the red, bloody and fleshy wound. It looks a bit infected even though vampires can’t get any infections. 

“It’s nothing”, Harry promises and Niall doesn’t believe that at all. “Anyway, you haven’t told him the news yet?”

Harry looks at the others expectantly and Niall frowns. “What news?”

“We’re taking you to see the High Vampiress today”, Harry informs him and pours blood from a can into an empty cup. 

“But I’m going with my parents”, Niall objects and suddenly he doesn’t care about any wounds or deaths. 

He doesn’t want to go with them there. It’s a private place for him, like a sanctuary free from any duties. 

“We got permission. Your parents are busy with other stuff today, anyway”, Zayn says and Harry drinks from his cup. He’s still hungry even though he killed a man by drinking his blood this morning. Niall reminds himself not to be alone with Harry in the near future. 

Niall opens his mouth to protest some more, but he’s immediately interrupted. 

“We’re taking you there”, Liam says slowly, seriously, like he wants to imprint every word into Niall’s mind so he’ll understand that he can’t escape from this. 

All of a sudden Niall gets why they’re not mad anymore. They can’t be mad if they want to get Niall to agree to this. 

And really, Niall doesn’t bother to agree or finishing his breakfast because he’s angry that they’re manipulating him like this. He leaves the table and they all stare after him as he goes. Louis calls for him to finish his breakfast, but Niall won’t do it. He won’t let himself be controlled that easily. Fuck control and not being able to control.


	2. Chapter 2

Their betrothal covers the newspaper front pages and there’s apparently much talk about it on TV as well, or so his servant says before Niall and his four suitors leave for the High Vampiress’ garden. 

Niall has learned to stay away from medias a long time ago, back already when the news were calling him a freak of nature and a devil’s child – born by dead people and destined to bring about the end of the world. Even vampires, his own people even if they technically _aren’t_ his own people, agreed with the things the humans said. They went on about the impossible pregnancy and the birth of Niall to be wrong, and nothing good would ever come of it. 

“It’s the beginning of the end of the vampire race if we have vampires giving birth to humans”, one vampire had said in an interview with the humans’ news broadcasting. 

Niall remembers that quote the most since he saw it only five years old. It’s been haunting him ever since, because he can’t help but feel there’s some truth in that statement. Why would a vampire give birth to a human, if giving birth by vampires would be possible? They’re not the same kind – one is dead, the other is living – and Niall won’t really ever be one of them until he himself has died as well and been turned. 

And how should he be able to bring an end to hate between humans and vampires, when the humans already hate him so? The vampires are, after all, forced to love him as he is their Prince but they won’t ever fully accept him as a human.   
He has to turn, he has to, because he can’t lead his people if he doesn’t and he can’t be the High Vampire if he doesn’t. His parents won’t watch and let him grow old and die, either, even if they tell him their favourite music for their ears is the sound of his heart beating. Niall thinks they’re hypocrites for saying so. 

“They’re writing a lot about us in here. There’s actual, private facts about us as well”, Louis says and flickers through a newspaper. 

Niall only bothered to read the headline ‘Teenage Prince engaged to _four_ vampires – when will their sick ways come to an end?’ and then he turned his head away, resting it in his palm, and stared out the window of the helicopter transporting them to the High Vampiress and her garden. Did he have to get one of the humans’ newspapers? Those are the worst. 

“Wow, Harry, I didn’t know you used to be a _stripper_ ”, Louis exclaims. “Is that how Liam found you?” 

Niall glances at Louis quickly to catch him smirking at Harry and he frowns and looks between Harry and Liam. 

“Do you two already know each other?” he asks and he curses how _accusing_ his tone is, like they’ve done something wrong. Really, he doesn’t care if they do know each other. 

“It’s nothing, really”, Liam says and reaches his hand up like he’s about to stroke Niall’s cheek comfortingly and reassuringly, but stops mid-air and drops it back into his lap. 

Niall wants to know more though, wants to know the full story, because he doesn’t believe at all that it’s nothing. His curiosity has spiked once again and he’s about to prod for information, but gets interrupted. 

“You should put that newspaper away”, Zayn says and gives it a nasty look. “There’s nothing but bullshit in it anyway.”

“What? You don’t believe Harry used to be a stripper? Come on, Zayn, you’ve seen his hips”, Louis says, and yes, Niall does imagine Harry’s hips in his mind and how they swing and he has to agree that Harry must’ve been at least a dancer back when he was human. 

Harry rolls his eyes and snatches the newspaper from Louis’ grasp, folds it and tucks it away under the seat. “Yes, I’ve been a stripper. It’s true”, he then says and Louis’ lips twitch, pleased. “I was young and needed money. Then I got turned and I stopped. At least I had a job, which isn’t what I’ve heard about you lot.”

From out of somewhere, another memory reappears in Niall’s head of the ages the boys had been of when they got turned. A vampire always has to be above the age of claiming consent – eighteen years old – to be legally turned. These boys got turned very young with all of them, except Louis, getting turned when they were around nineteen years old. Louis was turned when he was twenty. 

The flash of facts and details is so sudden and big that it almost startles Niall. He should stop remembering stuff like this. 

“I used to sing, a bit, in restaurants”, Louis protests. 

“Getting drunk and climbing stages and singing without pay, isn’t a job”, Harry says and it’s his turn to smirk. 

“I earned money other ways after I got turned”, Louis insists and Harry shakes his head. 

“Leading a coven and letting your followers collect money through threats, isn’t a job _either_ ”, Harry says and he smiles widely, cheekily, and his eyes sparkle slightly. 

Niall stares at him, partly listening to the boys argue, and he realizes he won’t ever get to have a proper job. He’s got duties instead, things he, being who he is, has to do. Responsibilities. He won’t have a job and earn money to be able to survive and take care of himself. He’s supposed to take care of others and lead. And these four are supposed to help him along the way. 

A stripper, a singer, Liam and Zayn. Why are they so special and who says they can handle all this? Niall barely can. Why did the prophecy choose them?

“You didn’t do anything at all before being turned?” Niall asks Liam and Zayn, suddenly wanting to know a bit more about their backstory and why, exactly, they’ve been chosen for him. 

“My father was a priest and I helped him sometimes”, Liam says. 

Zayn only shrugs and doesn’t answer and none of this makes Niall any wiser. He thinks there must be chemicals, or whatever, something inside them that makes them all compatible and meant to be. There must be something explaining why these four in particular are supposed to be with him forever. 

He sighs to himself, angry with the puzzle of all this, and then Louis reaches over him and stares out the window. 

“Now, isn’t that a sight”, he says and Niall turns his head. 

Right under them are fields of trees filled with small, pink flowers on their branches whose beauty takes Niall’s breath away every single time. Here the grass is greener than anywhere else on the planet and the fruit from the garden is sweeter than any other – Niall has tasted them and he is sure. 

They fly lower and a few minutes later they’re landing. Niall suddenly feels a bit nervous as it hasn’t been announced that his fiancés were to come with him instead of his parents. He hopes the High Vampiress won’t be mad and find this completely out of line and inappropriate. 

The helicopter's pilot opens the door and Niall climbs out of it with Louis, Liam, Zayn and Harry following closely behind. He can see the High Vampiress coming their way from afar – her knee-long, purple hair bouncing against the chest of her white dress. 

“Vampiress”, he greets and she’s the only one he has ever bowed his head for. She bows her head back at him, though, and says his name in greeting. Then her eyes rake softly and slowly over the boys next to him and she smiles. 

“And these must be your mates”, she says and Niall knows she won’t call them anything else, because she doesn’t agree with the human way of marriage, doesn’t think it to be as sacred as mating. 

Niall swallows thickly and nods his head jerkily. “Yes, they will be one day.” 

His cheeks pink involuntarily as he hasn’t fully yet gotten used to the idea of the boys being his future husbands and mates. The boys say their hellos and bow their heads lower than Niall ever needs. The High Vampiress nods approvingly, turns around, and silently tells them to follow her into her garden.

“Don’t blush”, Liam whispers to him and Niall shoots him a glare. It’s not the right time to tell him what to do, especially when it comes to blushing. 

“Boys”, the High Vampiress says and stops. “You can explore my garden as much as you like, for right now I need to talk to Niall alone.”

They don’t question her, but they do send Niall slightly questioning looks and he gives them a nod that it’s okay and he will be fine on his own. They leave and the almost-thousand-year-old vampire doesn’t say anything until they have disappeared among the trees. 

“They already seem very protective of you. That’s good”, she says and smiles. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you they were coming. It was decided this morning”, Niall apologizes and she waves her hand, brushing the problem away. 

“It’s okay, Niall”, she tells him and then leads him further into her incredible garden. The garden has existed ever since she became the High Vampiress – the garden was made for her – and she has lived her ever since, in a castle underground but mostly spending her time in the garden. 

She is of the highest authority among vampires and she will continue to be up until the day she kills herself. It’ll happen before she turns a thousand years old – no vampire has ever allowed themselves to live that long. Some vampires have actually been driven insane by old age, as it is mentally tormenting to stay forever young like that with a mind that has gotten that old. 

She brushes her hand over branches and flowers, and she’s safe here under the trees away from the sun. Vampires get more sensitive of the sun with old age as well. 

“I could sense that one of them has already killed for you”, she says and turns to face him again. 

“Yes”, Niall confesses. “This morning, a servant. My parents are dealing with it.”

“He has been punished”, she states, her blue eyes big and peaceful. 

Niall nods and a picture of the flesh-wound appears in his head and his whole body almost jerks by the horrible sight. 

“The bloodlust is too strong”, she concludes and narrows her eyes. “Strange.”

“Vampiress, I’ve already had dreams of them as well. It’s not supposed to happen until I’ve been claimed.”

She’s silent and looks thoughtful. Sometimes Niall wishes he knew her real name because it feels so strange and impersonal to call her ‘Vampiress’ when they’re actually very close. Friends, almost – mostly confidants. But her name is a secret that her maker and lover brought with him to the grave and it doesn’t matter how many times Niall asks – he won’t ever know her real name. 

“I have no answers or solutions to give your problems”, she finally says and he frowns. “I’m sorry, Niall.”

He smiles and tells her not to be, but he can’t help but wonder by himself if there’s something wrong with his bond and the prophecy he shares with the boys or if it’s in fact very, very special. If not the High Vampiress can answer that, then no one can. 

“You are to be claimed tomorrow, yes?” she says and he nods silently. “I’m happy for you.”

And there it is – her consent. She smiles widely and he shakes his head at her. 

“You’re worried”, she states. 

They walk again and Niall can feel in what direction they’re headed and his heart starts to beat a little bit faster with the joy he feels. They’re going to visit the biggest cherry tree of them all in the garden – the one Niall’s spent hours sitting by, reading and studying. 

“I don’t think I’m ready.”

“You have a prophecy and if the prophecy says you’re ready, then you’re ready.”

Niall wants to scream at the world to fuck the prophecy and all the stupid plans made out for him. If he says he’s not feeling ready, then he’s not ready. That’s just how simple it is. He’s not ready for this and not even his most trusted confidant understands that. 

“And when will you be mated?” she continues her small interrogation, like she’s trying to preoccupy his mind with her questions instead of his own thoughts. 

“On my eighteenth birthday. After the wedding”, Niall informs and plucks a flower from a low-hanging branch which almost brushes his face. 

He notices her scrunching up her nose a little at the word ‘wedding’, but it’s like she knows she complains about the humans’ traditional ceremonies a bit too much and therefore now chooses to shut up about it. 

“And you will not have been turned before the mating?”

“No.”

She nods understandingly but she’s got an odd look in her eyes, like she wants to say something but knows she shouldn’t. Instead she settles on a smile, warm and gentle, and her blue eyes shine brightly when she looks at him. 

“You don’t want to turn”, she says knowingly. Niall wonders if he’s really that transparent or if she’s just got some kind of superpower which makes her able to read his mind. Wisdom, is what she herself calls it and has been calling it ever since he was little and asked her about her possible mindreading abilities. He’s still not so very sure wisdom is all there is to it. 

“I don’t want to die”, he clarifies, because he doesn’t want to seem disrespectful to the vampire race and his own people. 

“It’s not exactly dying.”

Niall can see the big tree now and it’s not that far left. It feels like this place is magical and as if energy is soaring from the grass beneath their feet and absorbing through their skin. Niall loves this place and it has always been sacred to him. He used to play hide and seek with his parents here when he was little and that’s how he first found the big tree and feel in love with it. He’s been coming there on his every visit. Sometimes he sits there and talks with the High Vampiress, other times he reads and studies for his future, and sometimes he’s just relaxing under the heavy branches hanging over him while he’s resting his back against the tree and enjoying the air and the sun. 

“My heart will stop beating. I define that as being dead, don’t you?” Niall says and he doesn’t mean to sound cold and disrespectful, but he realizes that he does. 

The High Vampiress doesn’t look offended though, as she sits down on a bench by the big tree. Niall takes a seat next to her and looks up above him and sees clouds of cherry blossom. He feels safe here and he pretends there are no worries in the world right now. There are only pink flowers, sun and soft grass. 

The High Vampiress keeps silent and lets Niall enjoy himself for a while. He wishes he could live here for the rest of his life and skip all his duties and responsibilities, ignore prophecies and future husbands and all that comes with it. He wishes it so bad his heart almost aches and the High Vampiress decides to disrupt the silence. 

“Are you afraid of them?”

Niall has learned not to be afraid of vampires. No vampire has ever actually tried to hurt him – no one has ever dared, to be honest – and he doesn’t mind the time he was almost kidnapped by vampires because he doesn’t think it counts. They wanted to claim him and not kill him. 

Louis, Zayn, Liam and Harry are different. He doesn’t think they’d ever kill him, not even when he’s been made theirs, because he believes they would try and control themselves and not give in to the bloodlust which is clearly almost overpowering them. What scares him is that they’re supposed to see the whole him, the person Niall really is. They’re supposed to get under his skin and stay there and be with him forever. He will be theirs and they will be his. And they’re complete strangers to him and Niall doesn’t at all feel comfortable with that. He hates it. 

So. “Yes”, is the answer of her question. 

“They won’t hurt you”, she promises, like she knows the boys personally and they go way back. Niall isn’t as convinced of that as she seems to be, but he doesn’t say anything. 

They sit in silence once again with nothing special to say. She has already said what he’s here to hear – she has given him her consent. She suddenly smiles again and stares off in the distance and suddenly Liam, Louis, Harry and Zayn appear among the trees. 

“They will love you”, she says as they get closer. “Above all.”

Niall stares at the vampires blankly and they smile back at him – comfortingly, warmly, secretively and challengingly. Niall wishes the ground beneath him would swallow him. 

-

Harry restlessly walks the castle at night. His head is pounding, his arm is aching and his dry mouth is slowly becoming wetter. 

Liam had warned him during the evening to stay in his room during the night, to lock himself in and try to endure whatever might happen during the night. For once Harry thought that obeying Liam wouldn’t be such a bad idea, but it’s been three hours in his room and nothing has happened. No overpowering emotions have come flooding and crashing him in, no desire to kill and take. And the wait and the possibility that something still could be happening makes him twist and turn in his bed. So he escapes his room and decides to visit the kitchen for a glass of blood to help him sleep better. 

The castle is huge and ancient. Harry’s sure he would get lost in it if he was still a human. He wonders how Niall’s been able to find his way during all his years here. 

Harry knows about and has seen the mansion that’s been built for them, a long way away from here, and he wonders how Niall will feel about that. A new home to find his way in. They are to move there after the wedding and he’s fairly certain no one has told the Prince of the news yet. Not even his parents, whose idea it was from the beginning to build a new home. He’s a bit surprised by all the privileges that come of marrying the Prince of Horan, but at the same time he isn’t. For the rest of their living, but dead, lives they’ll be rich and comfortable. Harry has never known a life like that, not even during his short leadership of his own coven. He wonders how they’re all doing right now, if they miss him and if Nick – the vampire he let take over his coven – is enough of a good leader for them. 

Family ties just aren’t that easy to cut and he wonders if Liam, Louis and Zayn are also wondering about their old covens and how they’re holding up. They haven’t talked about it. They’ve been forced to start a new family, together, and with Niall joining them eventually. It’s not like they’re functioning like a family yet, but with time they’ll grow closer. With time they’ll forget their old families. This new family of theirs will be rather unconventional where no leader has been chosen and where they’ve been forced together. Harry has a feeling they’ll have a hard time getting along – especially he and Liam. He wonders when the day will come that the others, including Niall, will want to hear the story of how they met and what exactly happened. He figures he and Liam should try and agree on exactly how much to tell them – not that Harry wants to tell them anything at all. He wants it to stay buried and forgotten. It’s been years after all. 

He reaches the kitchen but stops right outside before opening the door. He hears something, or _someone_ , in there. A heart beating. He opens the door, thinking it must be a servant staying up late, but instead he finds a boy with blonde hair and blue eyes sitting on the kitchen counter and stuffing himself with chicken. He freezes right before taking a bite of his chicken and looks at Harry. He blushes. 

“Harry”, he says and his eyes grow big with a mix of intimidation and embarrassment. 

“Why aren’t you in bed, Niall?” Harry wonders and he can’t help his cold tone. Niall really shouldn’t be here, not alone and without any protection. 

Niall stares at the chicken in his hand uneasily, like he doesn’t know how to explain why he’s there if the chicken won’t. 

“I got hungry”, he answers. 

“You should be sleeping”, Harry tells him and thinks about the claiming ceremony. Niall needs rest for the ceremony, as he will be losing some amount of blood and be left feeling rather exhausted. He risks fainting if he hasn’t slept or been properly fed and Harry doesn’t think Niall will be very happy if he faints on live TV. 

“I can’t”, Niall mumbles and takes a bite of his chicken wing. 

“Afraid someone will die, are you?”

The blonde Prince chews slowly, like he hopes he won’t have to answer if he’s got food in his mouth, but Harry waits and Niall finally lets himself shrug. He swallows and Harry can feel himself staring at his bobbing Adam’s apple for a bit too long, and the sweet scent filling the air almost makes Harry’s saliva run down his chin – like a rabies diseased dog. 

“Yeah”, Niall breathes out quietly and licks his sticky fingers. Does the kid not realize what he’s doing right now? Has he got some kind of death wish or is he simply stupid? Fucking tease. 

Harry grits his teeth and stares at the refrigerator a few feet away from him where he knows fresh, cold blood will be – his for the taking. He holds his breath and walks by Niall, then opens the fridge and gets a bag of blood out. He opens it and takes a few gulps while ignoring Niall’s scrutinizing gaze on him. It feels refreshing and good, and it soothes the itching in his chest. 

“Don’t worry”, Harry says with a smile plastered on his lips as he turns back to face the Prince. “I won’t harm anyone. I promise.”

Niall doesn’t look very convinced as his eyes shift between Harry and the blood bag in his hand, but Harry doesn’t make it a thing to prove it to Niall. Because he isn’t entirely sure that he would be able to control himself, if his bloodlust was indeed tested. The blonde nods his head slowly though, like he can’t do anything else than trust Harry’s words and the vampire guesses he’ll have to be satisfied with that. 

“How’s the arm?” he wonders and stares at the open flesh wound on Harry’s arm pointedly. 

He glances down at his arm, at the punishment that was given by Niall’s furious father, and he shrugs lightly. 

“It’ll heal”, he says and looks back up at the Prince. 

“Does it hurt?”

It does hurt, very much so, but Harry still doesn’t think it was wrong of the King to give him the punishment. It could’ve been a lot worse, he could’ve been killed instead. Killing humans, especially those who work for the royal family, is highly forbidden. Harry knows that the only reason he’s been given a lighter punishment is because he’s part of the prophecy and betrothed to the Prince. He’s happy he got bit by an elder instead of decapitated. 

“Yes”, he confesses. “But I’ve been through worse.”

Niall’s eyes widen slightly and Harry knows he has said too much right now. He hopes he’ll forget it, but has a feeling he won’t and instead Harry will have to answer very hard questions in the future. 

He drinks some more from the bag of blood and Niall looks away – stares silently down at his feet, dangling freely in the air. 

“What’s the deal with you and Liam, then?” Niall suddenly asks, still stubbornly staring at his feet. 

Harry frowns and wonders if Niall is jealous, or just curious, or maybe both. He can’t help himself but moves towards the Prince, like the boy is magnetic. 

“We knew each other, a few years back, but it’s nothing, really”, Harry says and doesn’t know how much he should tell. It might be too early for these kinds of talks. 

“You shouldn’t lie to me”, Niall says and looks up. 

The vampire barely knows _how_ he has come to stand this close to the kid and when it happened, the only thing he can think of how blue Niall’s eyes are and how even sweeter he smells this up close. 

“I’m not”, Harry mumbles and tries to remember what they’re talking about. “What happened between Liam and me is history. We met, I was a part of his coven, and then I left.”

“And what happened _during_ the time you were part of his coven?” Niall pushes persistently. 

Harry sighs deeply and lets Niall’s scent fill his lungs. The boy is too curious for his own good and he seems to have a hard time to leave things alone. Harry likes it. 

“You should go to bed”, is all Harry says, because his and Liam’s story is one for another day when they’ve all settled as a family and things aren’t as intense. They’ve known each other for two days and it’s far too early to break such a story as this one to Niall – the boy should learn to trust them and love them first. 

Niall doesn’t look pleased with the answer and turns his head away in annoyance, and it gives Harry time to think and realize how close he’s standing. He backs away a few steps. 

“I still won’t get any sleep”, Niall mutters, like a stubborn child much younger than his age, and jumps down from the counter. 

He goes to leave through where Harry came from, but Harry speeds to catch him before he disappears – gripping his wrist and keeping him there for a few seconds longer – and Niall looks up at him with big, startled, blue eyes. 

“Don’t be nervous about tomorrow”, he says and Niall breaks their eye contact as Harry reminds him of tomorrow’s ceremony. “Sweet dreams.”

The young vampire lets go of Niall’s wrist and the blonde gives him a short glance before finally leaving the kitchen and heading to his room. Yeah, Harry knows that’s where he goes because he listens to every step he takes down the hall outside, and then he listens – while emptying the rest of the blood bag – to the Prince’s soft breathing as he climbs back into his bed. 

-

Niall sleeps for two hours during that night and it’s two exhausting hours due to his constant waking up, afraid he might dream something that’ll send his fiancés into madness and kill every human in the castle – including him. Besides, he can’t get himself to rest when the constant thought of the claiming ceremony is haunting him. He’s being fucking sold away and his parents don’t even realize it. It makes him feel cheap, like some whore who hasn’t got a say in anything. He can’t say anything either. He has tried that, but his parents wouldn’t listen. He’s the Prince of Horan and this is his destiny. Well, destinies suck. 

During the morning, he gets fed – strawberries, chicken, chocolate mousse and waffles – and washed by his servants. Today he doesn’t get a simple shower, but is instead forced to take a bath in water filled with white rose petals because, apparently, that’s a very important part of the tradition in proper claiming – especially when it comes to a royal one. There are pretty girls singing for him in a choir as he bathes and servants massage his neck and clean him properly. 

At one time, one of his servants comes inside and announces that there are plenty of vampire reporters outside wishing for an interview with the Prince. Niall immediately thinks of declining, but the servant gives him a look which tells him that it’s completely out of the question. Today is a special day and these are interviews he can’t decline. He wishes this could’ve been the wedding day and the day of mating instead, because he knows he isn’t obliged to answer any questions on that day. To mate is a sacred thing and to be kept holy and in peace – there’s no one who can force him to say anything on that day, if he doesn’t want to. 

Today he’ll agree to one interview and one interview alone. He knows his parents and their consultants are probably busy right now choosing the right interviewer for him – a vampire, of course, because humans have the tendency to not ask as many nice questions – as well as making sure the four vampires who are to claim him will answer all questions _just right_. No scandals can be made. It has always been tense between humans and vampires, and wars have long been fought between them. The birth of Niall both worsened and eased the tension – the vampires who don’t worship him hate the humans more and blame them for this _curse_ that is a human child to their vampire King and Queen, and the humans who don’t hate him think better of the vampires and believe a human child must be some kind of sign. Still, they can’t afford to say or do anything wrong. It’s not all fun and festivities during a royal claiming ceremony, but a lot is politics and trying to please the people they rule – hence the cameras and live-TV broadcast. 

After his skin has been scrubbed so badly that it almost hurt, it’s time to get dried and dressed. Niall is to wear only white clothes during this day and for now he’ll wear white trousers and a turtleneck shirt. His neck will be covered and protected all day until it’s time for the vampires to sink their teeth in him and drink his blood. It will be painful and messy, the red blood will stain his clothes and his fiancés will get their mouths covered – yes, there are reasons that it’s normally vampires, and not humans, getting claimed by other vampires. Niall looks himself in the mirror when he’s completely finished, pulls the turtleneck down to show his neck and throat and slides soft fingers over the skin. In a few hours the skin won’t be pale and blemish-free, but instead it’ll be filled with ugly, deep bite marks and dark bruises. He’ll have to wear bandages for a while. 

“Your Highness”, his servant says behind him and Niall sighs before pulling the turtleneck back up again. He turns to his servant, feeling a small wave of nausea blow over him, and he forces a smile. 

“I’m ready.”

He leaves his room with the thought of when he returns it’ll be his last time in the room as unclaimed and a small panic in his chest erupts at that. His heart beats fast and hard in his throat as he walks down the short corridor from his room, with his servants following him, and rounds the corner to find his four suitors standing in a row waiting for him. They’ve dressed nicely for the interview that awaits them, Niall notes. It’s all slacks and custom made jackets. They look dapper and stylish while Niall looks like he’s about to compete for the national fencing team in his white clothes. 

“Morning”, Louis is quick to say and they all smile widely at him. Of course they’re happy – they’re not the ones who are getting their neck punctured in a few hours. 

Niall gives them a weak smile and doesn’t say anything. He stands with them in silence and waits for his parents and their consultants to come and inform them of what interview and interviewer they’ve chosen for them. He fidgets with his hands and stares at his feet while they wait, and he doesn’t feel comfortable enough yet to be staring at the four vampires. 

Suddenly someone clears their throat and Niall looks up and sees his parents come walking down the corridor towards them. They are practically glowing with happiness, like this is the day of _their_ claiming ceremony and not his, and his mother hugs him close when they approach. 

“Niall, you look absolutely astonishing”, she says and kisses his forehead softly. 

His father smiles and winks at him when his mother pulls away, but Niall doesn’t return any of their happy smiles and gestures because, to put it simply, he doesn’t feel very happy. He feels scared and alone, because his parents are marrying him off to four strangers who all look like they want to rape and kill him, and his parents don’t even seem to care of this fact. Every time he has tried to make his parents understand how he feels, his mother always tells him the story of when she was claimed by the King and how happy and honoured she was. His father always agrees with her and tells Niall that he fell immediately in love and the day of their claiming ceremony had been the happiest day of his life, aside from the day Niall was born. He has been told the story so many times now that he knows it fully and never once does he view it as a particularly romantic one. 

“Your Highnesses and my gentlemen”, one of the consultants clears his throat and steps out from behind the King and Queen. “The interviewer we have chosen for you is called Caroline Flack, and she’s a highly professional journalist. She won’t ask any inappropriate questions of you or anything off-topic. She’s actually the same vampire as the one who interviewed your parents on the day of their claiming ceremony and she’s very trustworthy. Remember to be nice, polite and humble and everything will be alright. You’re expected in the east library in ten minutes.”

Right, the east library. The library with a whole window as a wall. Apparently not everyone is allowed to get an interview, but everyone is allowed to take pictures. 

His parents wish him luck for the interview and his mother promises she’ll stop by his room during his next change of clothing, right before the ceremony starts. His father won’t see him until the ceremony though, and he takes the opportunity to pull his son close and hug him for the last time as an unclaimed teenage boy. Niall bites his lips and gives his father a small smile when he lets go, and then he glances at the four vampires next to him. He gives them a tiny nod, a silent command for them to follow him so they can get this over with. His closest servant follows him as well and catches up next to him to force some more information into his head about claiming and how important it is that he looks happy and not scared, to show the kingdom that he’s brave and a great future leader… 

Niall stops listening. He can only hear the beating of his own heart and the shallow breaths escaping his lungs. It feels like he’s walking in slow motion and everything around him is getting blurry. He’s walking right into a certain future of vampires, and even humans, depending on him. This is the beginning of everything and he feels like climbing the walls and escaping. Jump through a window or something. 

He reaches the small room that’s right outside the library and a shaky hand opens the door. He can feel someone pressing and pushing against him from behind and he’s forced into the room quickly. The haste makes him close to furious and he turns around to see who’s fucking daring to push him around like that and sees his four betrothals standing before him, and they’re alone in the room. Liam closes the door in his servant’s face and locks it, and Niall glares at them. 

“You’re freaking out”, Zayn tells him and he walks over and helps Niall to sit down on the sofa. Louis magically makes a bottle of water appear and sits down next to him and opens it quickly enough so Niall can drink. The other two take a seat on the other sofa in the room. 

“I’m not freaking out”, Niall mumbles sheepishly and takes the bottle Louis hands to him. He drinks a little and ignores his still shaking hand. 

“You shouldn’t lie to us”, Harry says and Niall gives him a nasty look. He _really_ doesn’t like it when people use his own words against him. 

“I’m not”, Niall says fiercely through grit teeth. “I can do this.” 

His stupid body betrays him just then and his shaking is worsened and his arm spasms, making him spill water on the floor. 

Louis snorts next to him and shakes his head. “Yeah, we can see that.”

“Whatever”, Niall sighs and sinks back in the sofa. “What do you care anyway? You’re only here because you’ve been told to. Soon enough I’ll be yours and you’ll be married into money and luxury, and one day you’ll all be Kings. Let’s face it, you’re not here because you care about me and want what’s best for me. You don’t even know me. So, can we please just go out there and have the interview and be done with it?”

They stare at him blankly and Niall, _almost_ , regrets his words. Has he hurt their feelings? Are they mad? Or do they actually understand?

“Niall…”, Liam begins in a soft voice and the Prince looks over at him and he feels frantic. He needs guidance and he hopes whatever the vampire with big, chocolate brown eyes will say next will make everything alright. But it’s not Liam who speaks next. 

“Listen, my little Prince”, Louis says next to him, seriously, and lifts his hand so he can force Niall to drink more water. “You have to stop acting like you’re the victim in all of this. You’ve been blessed with life, when the actual birth of you is in fact impossible. You should be grateful for who you are and what you are. I know, there will be hard times ahead of you and living this life and ruling a kingdom and being the High Vampire isn’t exactly easy – but that’s what we’re here for, to help you and support you. I have to confess that I didn’t exactly want to marry someone I’ve never met, and I know some of the others here wasn’t either as eager, but that all changed as soon as we saw you. Something inside of us made it all feel right. We found our mate, we found _you_. And because you’re still human, that makes it impossible for you to understand that _we’re_ your mates. You don’t feel the way we feel, you’ll have to fall in love the same way as humans do and we know it takes time. But in the meantime, show some trust in us because we only want what’s best for you. We don’t care about the money and the luxury, okay?”

Niall gulps water down and he manages to nod. He also manages to blush because this moment right here is getting kind of awkward. Here he is with his nerves, being forced to drink water and told that his fiancés apparently have some feelings for him. 

He snatches the bottle from Louis’ grip and finishes it by himself. Time is ticking away and they have to get out there and meet with the reporter. He feels slightly better, but far from okay, but he guesses he’ll have to deal with that. 

“Don’t blush, Niall”, Liam reminds him and Niall can’t help but roll his eyes. 

“Yeah, you keep telling me that, but I can’t control it. My subconscious wants my face to get bright red and make me even more awkward than I already am.”

Zayn chuckles darkly next to him, sending almost the whole sofa vibrating and Niall frowns at him. 

“It’s just that we’re a bit worried Harry might chew your face off if you don’t try and keep that blood away from that fine surface that is your fair skin”, he explains, grinning. 

Louis laughs as well and Harry glares at both boys. “Very funny. I actually _can_ control myself”, he growls. 

Niall actually can’t help but give a small smile because Harry looks a bit adorable when he’s offended and he tells him: “You shouldn’t lie.”

Harry tilts his head to the side with a curious look on his face. “I never lie”, he says with such honesty that Niall is on the verge of believing everything he says from thereafter. 

“And that’s a lie right there”, Liam says next to Harry. 

The youngest of the vampires glances sideways at Liam, sitting next to him on the sofa, with obvious annoyance. Liam gives him a wry smile and Niall frowns again. 

“Niall”, Louis says next to him and pulls his attention away from what’s happening right in front of him between Liam and Harry, because that’s the first time Louis calls him by first name. “Worry about the future later. Right now you look ravishing and good enough to eat. You’ll do great out there.”

The Prince can do nothing but nod as he stares into Louis’ eyes and for some reason he believes his words. 

A whole wall of white camera flashes meets them as they finally step their feet in the library. Niall manages to smile for the cameras and wave at them, and out of the corner of his eye he can see the boys do the same thing. He notices the reporter, Caroline, dressed smart in a tight, black skirt and a light blue blouse. She’s sitting comfortably in an armchair with her legs crossed and question cards in hand, and she smiles when she sees the Prince and his four betrothals. 

“Your Highness.”

She stands up and bows her head, and Niall smiles and shakes her hand. Harry, Zayn, Liam and Louis all shake her hand as well and then sit down next to Niall on the red, comfortable sofa. The camera men are going nuts outside on the other side of the enormous glass window and Niall smiles again, because he knows it’s been a very long time since he made a public appearance and they have been waiting. His parents have made sure to protect him from the media and everything they say, but Niall is soon going to be of legal age and he’ll have to deal with the newspapers and journalists on his own. This is almost like a trial and Niall is still not so sure that he’ll be able to pull through. 

“Wow, look at that”, Caroline says and looks at the flashing lights. “There must be hundreds out there.” 

“Yeah, it’s amazing”, Niall agrees. “It’s like an ocean of stars, in bright daylight.”

Caroline turns to him and smiles again. “I think there are more photographers here today than it was during the day of your parents claiming ceremony”, she says, almost a bit secretively, like Niall is supposed to be impressed by that. 

Niall thinks the camera in the room, the one which will be filming this whole interview, should be more than enough, but he doesn’t say that. Instead he keeps on smiling that stupid smile that he’s already grown tired of and keeps his mouth shut. 

“My Prince-”, Caroline starts and the actual interview finally begins and the camera flashes outside get wilder, but Niall immediately cuts her off. 

“Call me Niall, please”, he says calmly. 

She’s looks a bit lost and confused for a second, and that perfect smile of hers – which Niall suspects she’ll be wearing during the whole interview – falters. She quickly recovers, though, and gives Niall a small nod. 

“Niall, it’s been a while since you made a public appearance and agreed to an interview and you probably feel a bit unused to this. Today is also the day of your claiming ceremony to these four gentlemen over here. How do you feel? Are you nervous or mostly excited perhaps? Is there a lot going on right now?” 

She starts with an easy question. To talk about how Niall feels is much easier than having to answer questions of how he will unite humans and vampires in the future and make peace. 

“Of course there’s a lot going on”, Niall says. “Not just today, but also weeks before today with all the preparations and lessons I’ve had, and I have to admit that I’ve been a bit stressed. Right now I’m feeling relaxed though, and both excited and just a little bit nervous. Above all, I’m happy. I’m happy that my parents are proud of me and I’m grateful for my people’s support. There are a lot of mixed emotions, to be honest.”

Niall has no idea where all that came from and, judging by the Caroline’s widening smile, his words must’ve been good. He licks his lips, tries to moist his dry mouth and he feels a bit relieved. 

“That’s completely understandable, Niall, and I think those who have been through a claiming ceremony like this one can relate. It’ll be a bit different for you, though, as you’ll be getting claimed as a human – are you afraid it’ll hurt?”

Niall shakes his head. “No, I’ve been preparing myself for this for so long now that I’m used to the idea and I’m not afraid of the pain at all. A bit nervous, perhaps, yes, but not afraid.”

There’s no one who can force him to tell the truth in this interview, Niall is just reminding himself of that. 

Caroline proceeds by talking about his betrothals and asks the four vampires to introduce themselves and tell their thoughts and feelings about this glorious day. It’s the first time Niall turns to his four future husbands and isn’t at all surprised to find Louis sitting the closest to him, followed by Zayn, Harry and Liam. They tell Caroline nothing new about themselves than the newspapers already know, and they all agree on feeling very honoured to have been chosen by the oh-so-great-and-powerful prophecy. Louis makes a few jokes with Caroline and Niall can’t help but smile, and if that helps his image and makes him seem _in love_ then, great. 

There’s a lot of talk about the ceremony and the future wedding – and even a bit about mating and turning – and they all take turns of answering the questions. Niall makes it clear that he will eventually turn and fulfil the prophecy. He knows, and respects, his parents as well as his people’s wish of him turning and he tells Caroline they haven’t decided on _when_ he will turn, only that it will happen. 

“You’re a very special teenager, Niall, with a prophecy that has foretold your future, and chosen mates for you. Do you feel a lot of pressure to live up to the prophecy or do you think that what is to happen will, simply, happen? Do you believe in it wholeheartedly?” 

Niall takes a short moment to answer, because questions about the prophecy are always hard to answer. Vampires and humans want him to know and have all the answers, they want him to be almighty and he can’t be that. 

“I think the prophecy is a mystery and it isn’t supposed to be solved”, Niall starts and it’s like the whole world goes silent and waits for him to continue. “It’s the mystery of the future, isn’t it? The only way we can handle that mystery is to live it, to experience it. I also think of all the vampires walking this Earth and how hard it is for them to find their rightful mates. The prophecy showed me to my true mates and, even though I can’t feel it the same way as vampires can, I know that we are supposed to be together. They have told me that they can feel it, and even _I_ can feel that there’s something very powerful between us. The prophecy helped me find the vampires I’m supposed to spend the rest of my days with – how can I _not_ believe in it?”

The reporter nods, and her smile has turned into a serious one now as she turns to the boys. “So, you have actually felt that Niall is your true mate?” she asks and leans forward in her seat with outmost curiosity. 

Niall turns to look at them once again and it feels like someone punches out all the air in his lungs as he sees the four of them staring back at him with the same intensity as fire. They all nod their heads and it’s Liam who finds the ability to speak. 

“Yes, we have.”

The blonde Prince can’t happen but feel just a bit bad for lying in the interview, while his betrothals probably speak nothing but the truth. Still, it’s for the better. What’s most important to him is to please his people.


	3. Chapter 3

Even though the interview goes great and Niall, as well as the boys, are praised for their efforts, the Prince still hurries away to his room when the interview is over. Niall hears his name being called behind him as he goes, knows one of his servants speeds up to catch him and when he reaches his room, he turns around and shakes his head. 

“I need to be alone”, he tells the servant. 

He needs to lie down and get some rest, preferably some sleep as well. At the end of the interview, he started to feel a bit lightheaded and he’s worried he might faint before the ceremony has even started, before the losing of the blood has even begun. 

Niall gets into his bed, pulls his covers around him tightly and tries to imagine that he isn’t the Prince of Horan, if only for a second, and that he doesn’t have this huge weight weighing down on his poor shoulders. There’s still a few hours left for the ceremony and Niall thinks he manages to fall asleep for at least one of them. He dreams of chains binding him up and of _them_ , smiling as if they’re doing him some kind of favour. 

Suddenly, he wakes up at someone shaking him and he panics slightly, thinking that maybe his dreaming has gotten someone killed again. He is met by his mother’s loving smile though and she reaches out to stroke his cheek. Niall immediately relaxes. 

“It’s time to get changed”, she says softly and the sun shining through his window reflexes beautifully in her hair just as she leans back and her hand slips from his cheek. She waves a servant over and Niall is handed water spiked with honey. 

“You look pale”, the Queen says and a worried frown forms on her features. 

Niall sits up in his bed properly, empties his glass entirely and shrugs when he hands the glass back to the servant. 

“I didn’t sleep much last night”, he confesses and watches with tired eyes as the door to his room is opened and the clothes for the ceremony are carried in. 

It’s not exactly clothes, but more like a long and white tunic with a white robe to carry over it and only the tiniest details in gold embroidered around his sleeves and down the lapels. Niall recognizes the embroidery as his family crest. 

“Niall, you have to be careful”, his mother says in a very disapproving voice. “You could get sick after the ceremony.”

“Well”, Niall says and climbs out of his bed. “I wouldn’t have to worry about it if it wasn’t about to get a great part of my blood sucked out in only an hour’s time.”

If only Niall had just one suitor, then things would be fine, but no, he’s got four suitors and they all have to drink at the same time. He wished that they’d be taking turns so he could get some time to recover, but the risk is that he’ll only get claimed by the one who bites him first. Niall thinks that if the prophecy wants him to have four husbands so badly, then he would get claimed by them all anyway even if they were taking turns, but no one else wants to take that risk and Niall obviously hasn’t got a say in the matter. 

He eats of the chocolate that has been brought in, to get some much needed strength and ignores his mother’s sigh. One of the three servants, who are in his room, helps him get his clothes off and he gives the white clothes a silent goodbye as an unclaimed boy. 

“If only you could understand our traditions – “, the Queen begins and Niall quickly turns to her. 

“I do understand your traditions, _our_ traditions”, he says. “I’ve read every book about them, I’ve had lessons in them and I do respect them. I know what’s expected of me and I will go through with this, for us, our people and the future that lies ahead. I just can’t relate to our traditions, at least not as a human. I’ve tried, but it’s like my humanity is fighting against this co-dependency I’m heading into. As a human, I want to be free.” 

Niall expects his mother to get sad, or maybe even angry, and leave him to face his last moments as unclaimed alone. She stays put though and she doesn’t look very sad, no she actually snorts a tiny laugh and settles on a smile. 

“Spoken like a true King”, she says and her eyes glint with pride maybe, or admiration perhaps. 

She gets up from the bed, gets the white tunic from one of the servants and walks over to Niall. He raises his arms and she pulls it over his head and then down. She smiles when he lowers his arms again and brushes fingers through his hair. 

“You’re so very young, but still so wise”, she says. “I don’t think I’d be able to reach the same wisdom as yours, even if I got another hundred years older.” 

His mother steps back and the servants step over to help him get his robe on. Niall looks himself in the mirror when they’re done and he’s convinced he looks like a boy about to take his Christian confirmation, but then he catches his mother’s eyes in the mirror and it looks like she’s about to cry. 

“You’re magnificent, Niall”, she says with her tears heavy in her throat and Niall turns to her, goes for a hug but she quickly steps away. 

“I can’t touch you with those clothes on, I’m sorry”, she says and smiles sadly. 

“Right”, he says with a nod and remembers from his lessons that these clothes are holy. 

His closest servant interrupts them by telling them that it’s time and his mother quickly tells him that she loves him. 

“I love you too”, he says. “Just tell me, is it worth it?” 

She smiles again, tears shining in her eyes but not falling. “They’re your mates, of course it’s worth it.”

-

Niall takes a deep breath, tries to will his slight nausea away and focus on everything he’s been rehearsing for this day. He has spent hours of many days with his teachers – Simon being the toughest on him – rehearsing what he’s supposed to say and do. He knows this.   
What worries him is whether Zayn, Harry, Liam and Louis know what they’re supposed to do and if they can perform according to plan. What if one of them loses their control and sucks the life out of him? The scandal and outrage it would cause in the land is unthinkable. 

Niall is led to the throne hall where the act is to occur. His four suitors can’t be seen anywhere yet, but that doesn’t matter. He is to spend the first minutes inside the throne hall alone, making vows to the throne of Horan. He swallows, remembers to straighten his back and desperately hopes he won’t start to blush. The doors to the hall opens, one of his servants give him a last smile, and Niall walks through the door in complete silence. He fixes his eyes on the throne ahead of him, the seat in which his father uses to sit in, the seat in which Niall one day will be sitting in with his four husbands next to him, and he tries not to mind the cameras sitting high up on the walls. Niall’s vision goes a bit blurry and he forces himself to focus on his breathing and shut all other thoughts out. 

He walks, with feet bare against the cold wooden floor and his robe trailing the floor behind him. When he reaches the foot of the throne, he gets down on his knees and bends his head low. His heart beats so hard, that Niall imagines his whole chest is jumping with it and he waits a short bit to calm himself down as it will be impossible to talk otherwise. 

Suddenly, as if he finds his ability to talk out of nowhere, he says: 

“My blood is my blood, as well as yours. Your blood shall be mine, as well as everyone else’s. Here, by this throne, we shall rule until the end of days. I swear to you, you of all things most holy.”

Niall gets up from the floor and turns around, then he walks to the centre of the hall, to a mark of a circle on the floor and his family crest at the heart of it. He stops, waits for a heartbeat or two and then the doors to the hall are opened again and four vampires walk in. Niall can’t help it, his eyes slide quickly over them as if in search of any signs that everything is alright or everything is about to turn to shit. Their eyes tell him nothing he doesn’t already know and Niall bows his head when they approach him. They crowd in on him and Niall glances up quickly to see Zayn and Louis stop by his front, while Harry and Liam stand on his sides. He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes, thinks that it might be easier if he doesn’t see their fangs drop. Someone takes his robe off and drops it to the floor. Niall continues to keep his eyes shut as he listens to his own breathing, lets it calm him. 

“Just relax”, one of them says in such a hushed whisper the cameras probably don’t catch it. Niall tries to place the voice, thinks it might be Zayn, but then his thoughts are ripped away as he feels lips on his neck and sharpness like knives when teeth sink in. 

It aches, more so than he thought it would and his eyes snap open, staring out without seeing. He gasps as his head is forced back, giving more space for his suitors. His head throbs, his heart races and he thinks he won’t be able to make it, that he’ll faint any second now (because the white light shining in front of his eyes is slowly disappearing, replaced by a panicking darkness) and show himself as weak to his people. He’ll disappoint his parents. He closes his eyes again. 

Suddenly, his throat tightens as if he’s screaming inaudibly and he can feel a surge run through him as if he’s ripped apart inside and twisted into something new. It’s like someone has emptied him of all his inner power. His legs start to tremble and when he opens his eyes in shock, there’s larger black dots dancing before them. This is it, this is when he passes out. 

But then, thankfully, he can feel the boys releasing him slowly, almost in unison. Feeling a rush of relief flood through his body, he takes a deep breath and feels his whole body go slack with the sudden lack of pain. Still, there’s the black dots swimming in his vision and he panics again slightly. He might still faint. A hand lands on his elbow as he starts moving towards the doors leading out of there and he doesn’t have to turn around to know the four vampires are walking with him out. He reaches back, hoping the cameras won’t see it, and grips someone’s hand to steady himself further. 

They are getting closer to the doors and Niall can feel his feet dragging heavily against the wooden floor beneath. He pushes through the doorway and gets out of sight for the cameras. It’s over and he should be safe now. He can finally relax because he made it. 

But suddenly there’s someone behind him, gripping his upper arms in a tight grip and forcing him up against the closest wall. The front of his body hits the wall hard and he loses his air. Everything blacks out in front of his eyes for a moment. There’s a nose by his neck, pressing and breathing him in and Niall freezes. He blinks and finds his vision, tries to get a look at who’s behind him. 

“Harry?” he breathes softly and carefully lets his free hands, hanging by his sides, reach back and grip at the sleeves of his jacket. 

A tongue slips out and laps at his skin, teeth grazing but not biting down. Niall shivers and pushes his cheek to the cold wall, waiting. He doesn’t dare to do anything, doesn’t dare to move, because he knows a vampire this close to him could finish him off in only a split second. 

“What is going on here?” 

Niall recognizes his father’s voice, filled with authority and slight panic and his heart speeds up a bit. There’s nothing anyone can do, though. If they try and grab Harry or push him away, he might be triggered to bite down into his spinal cord and end Niall’s life quicker done than ever said. 

“Harry”, he tries again, only a whisper, but the vampire only responds by pressing closer to him, his nose burying in his hair. “Please.”

Harry growls and his tongue trails a line over Niall’s jaw and he finally comes into his vision fully. His eyes are dark, hard to recognize and he glances down at Niall’s pulse point, avoiding his eyes. 

“Harry”, someone, _Liam,_ suddenly says behind them with a dark voice full of power. Niall feels a pull within him, as if something clenches around his heart and tries to force it out of him. 

_“Back. Off”_ , Liam says in another rough growl. 

Harry stiffens behind him, his breathing harsh and it seems like he’s fighting an inner battle. He obviously doesn’t want to back off, but Liam’s command seems impossible for him to disobey. 

With something close to a roar, he suddenly pushes himself away and Niall quickly turns around, steadying himself against the wall behind. His servants rush to his side, checking if he’s been dangerously hurt, but Niall ignores them. Instead, he keeps his eyes on Harry and Liam who takes Harry by the neck in a tight grip and leads him out of there.   
Louis and Zayn stay behind glancing around them in confusion of what exactly they should do, while his father exclaims his concerns in a loud voice. Niall bats the hands of his servants away, pushes from the wall and hurries past two of his betrothals, his teachers and his father. He hears his name being shouted, but he ignores it and runs to catch up with Liam and Harry further down the hall, heading for their rooms. 

“Wait!” he shouts, but Liam ignores him and Harry probably doesn’t hear. 

He continues to run after them, rounding a corner and hurrying to catch them before they disappear into the hall of their rooms. 

“Wait”, he repeats and Liam finally stops and turns. His fingers are digging into Harry’s throat and the younger vampire looks lost, unaware of his surroundings thanks to his throbbing bloodlust within. Liam stares at him darkly and Niall swallows. There’s only one reason Liam can control him like this. Niall has to know if this is their big secret. 

“You’re his maker, aren’t you?” he asks, pushes the words out of his dry mouth. 

Niall breathes heavily, the black dots reappear in his vision and he blinks, eyes shifting between Harry and Liam. The older vampire tightens his grip on Harry, turns his back against Niall and speeds away, leaving him without an answer. 

Niall collapses against the wall and he hears his name being shouted somewhere far away, just as he loses his consciousness. 

-

“Well”, Louis says as his eyes slide over his three companions, all of them looking very disgruntled. “Seems like we’re in deep shit.”

“It’s not funny, Louis”, Zayn says and glares at him. 

Harry frowns into a wall and Liam stares off into another direction, both of them sitting as far away from each other as possible. 

“I didn’t say it was”, Louis answers. 

The youngest of them breaks his stare, slides his hands over his thighs and lets out a deep breath. He pushes fingers through his own curly hair and refuses to look up at any of them. 

“What’s going to happen now?” he mumbles and seems almost afraid to ask the question. 

Louis shrugs, pours himself a glass of scotch and leans back in the comfortable, red sofa. He drinks from it and glances between the three again, all of them spread out on different spots – Liam by the window, Zayn in the sofa across from his and Harry in the armchair next to it. 

“No idea”, Louis says. “I mean, it’s not like they can actually do anything to you now. Niall has been claimed by you and _technically_ he’s yours to do as you please with.”

“You know that’s not true”, Liam objects by the window and turns to meet Louis’s gaze. He rolls his eyes, getting tired of how endlessly chivalrous Liam is and silently wonders how he’s supposed to be able to spend the rest of eternity together with him. 

“Right”, he says as if he just remembers. “He’s of royal blood, of course. The same rules don’t apply to fancy pricks like them.”

Liam looks like he wants to say something, maybe point out that Louis’s language isn’t appropriate, but instead Zayn is the one who speaks. 

“You shouldn’t talk like that”, he says and nods vaguely in the direction of the servant standing quietly by the door. 

“I’m just saying”, Louis says with another shrug. “Lads, we’re here because a prophecy pointed out Niall as our mate. If they believe so much in this prophecy, then they should trust it as well. Harry wouldn’t have killed him because fate didn’t want him to.”

“ _I_ didn’t want him to”, Liam corrects. 

Louis smirks and glances over at the young vampire, now staring into the wall again with his lips glued together like it’s a way of punishing himself. 

“That’s right”, he says with a laugh. “You’re his maker, right? Maybe we should ask Harry here instead what the rules of claiming really are. Isn’t that what you did, Li? You claimed him and realized he wasn’t the one. I knew it – you two smelt too similar.”

The muscles in Harry’s jaw flex and his eyes almost go black when he turns around and looks at Liam. He looks like he’ll rip Liam’s head off any minute or maybe break and share their whole sappy love story with them. But nothing happens, they don’t say anything and Harry goes back to staring at the wall again. 

“It doesn’t matter”, Zayn cuts in and lights a cigarette. “Can’t you sense it? We all smell the same now. We’ve all been claimed by each other.”

Louis takes a whiff and frowns when he can’t sense anything. “There’s no smell.”

“Exactly”, Zayn mutters around his cigarette and smiles. 

Liam jumps down from the window frame and walks over to them, probably hoping he’ll smell something if he gets a bit closer. 

“Was this supposed to happen?” he asks with a slight tension between his eyebrows, obviously concentrating on finding a scent in the air. 

They all look at Zayn in hope for answers. Even Harry turns and glances over at him, still looking a bit bitter but questions evident in his eyes nevertheless. Zayn looks at them with one eyebrow raised and smoke seeping through his slightly parted lips. He shrugs. 

“How should I know?” he says and smirks. “Hopefully, we can all trust the prophecy knows the answer.”

He grins at Louis and he responds with an unimpressed snort. Zayn seems awfully relaxed with the idea of the five of them, the Prince included, being bonded to each other. Louis hadn’t exactly planned on this, but he realizes it doesn’t matter much when he thinks of it. The five of them – bound together for eternity. Sure, why not? 

“What happens now?” Liam repeats Harry’s earlier question. 

Louis can’t help but grin then, when he understands what it actually means. He looks over at Zayn, who’s also grinning, and knows he’s thinking the exact same thing. It’s not 1 + 4 anymore, but a simple unity of five, twined together by blood. 

“Well”, Louis starts and downs the rest of his scotch. “Things are going to get awfully interesting in the bedroom, that’s for sure.”

-

Niall wakes up with a headache. He has no idea what time it is or even what day. When he tiredly raises his head from his pillow, he notices that his room is empty of anyone he could ask. The sun is starting to find its way through his blinds, though, and Niall guesses he must’ve been out cold for at least twelve hours. 

It doesn’t matter really, because there are never any festivities happening in the castle after a claiming. Outside, yes, there the people and vampires are probably getting drunk and sharing blood bags while they cheer loudly with joy at their Prince finally being claimed. There’s never any real party happening within the walls of the castle, until after the wedding and right before the mating ceremony. 

Niall sits up in his bed, stretches his back and carefully climbs out of it. His head hurts and his stomach is churning – the black dots are swimming in front of his eyes and he has to be careful so he doesn’t faint again. He wouldn’t like to spend another twelve hours in unconsciousness.   
The halls outside are empty and he slowly makes his way to the dining hall, in nothing but his boxers and a white t-shirt. It’s empty in the dining hall as well and no food visible. With a sigh, he continues his way towards the kitchen instead. 

The kitchen is also empty when he gets there and Niall guesses everyone must’ve thought he’d lie days in a coma. He grins at the thought of proving them wrong.   
He opens the fridge and gets some turkey, mayo and salami. After finding some fresh bread, he makes himself a nice sandwich. He takes a bite of it, grabs a can of cola in the fridge and decides to head back into bed. Heading through the swing doors out of the kitchen, attention full on his sandwich, he doesn’t look up in time before colliding into a solid chest. Mayo smears on his cheek when his sandwich hits his face and Niall looks up in irritation. Liam is looking back at him with slightly concerned eyes and Niall nods his head. 

“Right”, he says and pushes past him. 

He might’ve been in a smaller coma for the past twelve hours, but he hasn’t at all forgotten what happened right before he passed out. Niall wipes his cheek free of mayo, licks his thumb and starts walking back to his room again. He doesn’t need any special super hearing to know Liam is following him. 

“Nice to see you awake”, he mumbles behind him and, judging by the sound of his voice, he knows fully well that Niall is pissed at him. 

He ignores him, takes another bite of his sandwich and rounds a corner to head down the corridor to his room. He is met by Louis, standing with his hands casually in his pockets and leaning against a wall, not at all blocking his way but looking at him with narrowed eyes which silently tells him ‘if you walk past me, you’ll regret it deeply’ or something equally as intimidating. Naturally, Niall stops. 

“Well, well”, he says with a smile as he pushes away from the wall. “Isn’t it our little Prince, fresh out of his beauty sleep?”

His smile widens, he moves closer and stops only a few inches away from Niall. He thinks of backing away – a pure instinct within him which probably is a perfectly normal instinct for any human close to a predator – but Liam is standing behind him and Niall’s rather dealing with Louis than him right now. Of course, they could probably _feel_ that he was awake. 

“Nice bandages”, Louis comments, inkling his head down. 

The hand holding on to his cola quickly reaches up and a few of his fingers reach out to feel around his throat, find thickly laid bandages there which he had completely forgotten about. He doesn’t like it. 

He looks up at Louis’s suddenly dark eyes – the eyes of a demon –, tries to get contact with them as they stare at his throat. He glances over his shoulder at Liam, but doesn’t get any luck there either. 

“What do you want?” Niall asks and gestures with his hands tiredly. 

He’s tired and hungry and he’d like his vampire Scooby Gang to leave him alone for at least five minutes. (Niall can’t help but wonder if that makes him Scooby-Doo and if it makes Louis Shaggy, considering Harry’s a perfect Daphne, Liam is a typical Velma and Zayn can’t be anyone else than Fred – if you take his early observations into consideration. Well, at least he likes food as much as Scooby does). Louis frowns at him as if he’s reading his mind and Niall flushes red even though he tries very hard not to. 

“Come”, he says, snatches the cola out of his hand and then takes Niall’s hand without asking. “We’d like you to make us company.” 

With a sigh obviously ignored by both Louis and Liam, he lets himself get dragged into the wrong direction of his own bedroom and towards the lounging room of his four _mates._ Niall may just as well start using the word. It seems to be the right choice now, after his claiming ceremony and all. 

He realizes that he hasn’t actually been in their lounging room before, at least not with them there. The castle is also genuinely that huge that Niall is even a tiny bit uncertain if he’s ever even been inside this particular room at all. All guest lounging rooms look the same and it’s hard for him to know or notice any difference. 

Zayn is finishing off a blood bag when they get there and he snorts a soft laugh when his eyes land on the sandwich in Niall’s hand. 

“That’s disgusting”, he says as a greeting. 

As Niall is ordered to sit down in one of their red sofas, he takes a bite of his sandwich and chews it slowly. He moans in pleasure and grins at Zayn. The vampire laughs at him and shakes his head. 

Louis pours two glasses of scotch, hands one of them to Liam before taking the other himself. He walks over and sits down next to Niall just as he finishes his sandwich. Liam is clever enough to take a seat in the sofa across from theirs. 

Louis hands Niall’s can of cola back, already opened and everything, like Niall only had to think of his dry throat and Louis could tell. He takes it, drinks from it and glances around the room. It looks exactly the same as the rest of them, except for the pool table standing by one of the windows. He wouldn’t have noticed it, if it wasn’t for Zayn re-entering his game after finishing his blood bag. Zayn shoots and Niall hears the balls hit each other. He doesn’t really have to be over there and watch the game to make a fairly safe guess that every ball Zayn hits falls into a hole. Vampire powers and all that. 

He drinks from his cola again and clears his throat in the strange silence before asking: “Where’s Harry?”

Niall’s angry with him, he is, but he’s also worried that he might’ve gotten punished again. Images of the deep wound on his arm appear in Niall’s head and he can’t help but wince. 

“He’ll be here soon”, Zayn answers. “He’s been sleeping in.” 

Niall nods and trusts they’ll tell him if Harry was hurt or busy getting punished by his father. Louis shifts next to him, puts an arm on the backrest behind his head and lets sneaky fingers reach down and play with Niall’s hair. 

“No interesting dreams, my sleeping beauty?” he wonders with a smirk. 

“Wouldn’t you be the first one to know if there was?” Niall says and smiles back sweetly. 

He’s tired of Louis treating him like a fair maiden in distress, when he clearly isn’t. One day he’ll actually be a King and a leader. 

Louis snorts and looks pleased. He drinks from his scotch and looks over at Liam over the edge of the glass. Liam’s features don’t move a muscle, but still it seems like he and Louis are having a mental discussion with each other. Niall frowns. 

“Where are everyone else?” he wonders to interrupt their strange stare. 

It takes a second for them to realize he said something and then Louis shrugs, tearing his eyes away from Liam. 

“Your parents are doing interviews. All servants were told to take a few days off, as we all believed you’d stay in your coma for at least a week.”

Just like he expected. Niall still doesn’t like that they’d all believe him to be that weak. It was hard, yes, to have his blood sucked by four vampires but it wasn’t that bad that it would’ve put him in a coma for a whole week. 

Finally, Harry enters the room and he’s got no other wounds except for the one already existing and slowly healing on his arm. Niall curses himself internally when he feels his unknowingly tense body relax almost immediately. 

“Morning, Harold”, Louis greets and smiles. 

“Slept well?” Zayn shouts and gets up from his bent position over the table. He looks down at his game and seems finished with it. 

“Like a baby”, Harry says with a smooth voice and smiles when he sits down in the same sofa as Liam, leaving a slight space between them. 

Niall doesn’t know if he’s only imagining it, but he can feel a slight tension between the two. They don’t even look at each other. 

Zayn comes over and sits down next to Niall and flashbacks of the moment before his interview with Caroline Flack the day before erupt in his mind. Niall feels himself slowly get nervous. There’s something the boys want to say, he can honestly feel it, and he wonders what it could be. They don’t say anything though and they drag the silence out instead, making him impatient. 

“So”, Harry suddenly says and locks eyes with Niall. “One month left until your eighteenth birthday, precisely. How do you feel about that?”

Harry smiles slyly and Niall doesn’t like it. He kind of expected Harry to be sorry about what happened and maybe offer an explanation about him and Liam as a way to make up for being so very close to killing him the day before. As he smiles at him, he doesn’t look the least bit sorry and Niall thinks _fine, don’t be._

“I’m counting the days”, he says and returns the smile. 

Next to him, Zayn laughs and when he glances at Louis, he can see his stupid, pleased smile again. Harry’s smile doesn’t falter, but Liam doesn’t seem to be in the mood to crack one. 

“You should be”, Zayn says next to him, reaches over and takes his free hand in his to play with his fingers. It’s the first time Zayn touches him, excluding the times when Zayn kissed his temple the first time they met and when his teeth sunk into his skin, his lips sucking his blood at the claiming. None of them are still technically not supposed to touch him, but considering he’s already been claimed and he’s to spend the rest of his life with them – who cares? 

Niall looks at him, notices his long lashes and how they perfectly frame his beautiful eyes this up close. His hand gets a bit clammy and his heart starts beating a tiny bit faster. He thinks it’s mean to admit it, considering he has only known his four future husbands for a few days and he’s supposed to eventually love them all just as much, but he has to say that Zayn is his favourite so far. He doesn’t scare him or annoy him and he also doesn’t keep any secrets from him. He smiles and lets his fingers circle around his. 

“Niall”, Liam says seriously across from them and it seems like the fun is about to end as quickly as it started. “Something happened during the claiming ceremony.”

“Liam thinks it’s the end of the world, but the rest of us don’t really”, Louis cuts in with a sigh. 

Niall frowns at them and feels his worry bubble up inside of him. “What?” he wonders. “What happened?” 

“We were supposed to only claim you, but somehow we all got claimed by each other as well.” 

“What does that mean?” Niall asks and doesn’t get what the harm in it is. 

“Basically”, Louis says. “It means that we can all feel each other’s feelings now. It’s not just you receiving our feelings and we receive yours, but it’s all of us sharing everything. We’re a whole shared unity now.” 

Niall still doesn’t get why Liam would be so troubled by this. 

“There’s nothing wrong with that, though? Isn’t that better?” he asks. 

Louis’s fingers start playing with his hair again, grabbing his attention and making him turn to face him. 

“It is”, he agrees. “But not if you hate the one who has claimed you.” 

Niall’s eyes shoot to look between Harry and Liam, and he gets it immediately. He doesn’t know what to say or even if there is anything he can say. It’s obvious that whatever happened between Liam and Harry is a huge, poisonous ball of shit. Even though he hasn’t received any answer to his question, Niall has landed on the conclusion that Liam is Harry’s maker and that makes things even more complicated. It’s not at all common that a vampire turns against their maker, as it’s not in their nature. Whatever happened there is nothing but a mess, Niall is sure, but he’d still like them to trust him enough to tell him about it anyway. 

He chooses not to say anything and is grateful when Louis changes the subject and jokes about Niall’s bandages instead.


	4. Chapter 4

Liam wakes up with a gasp and knows instinctively, without thinking, what’s happening. His skin is crawling and his mouth is watering. His hearing sharpens and he listens carefully for blood running through veins. There’s a thumping heart, warmth and wetness, flesh and sweat, and Liam forces himself to close his eyes to try and block the feelings out. Niall’s having a dream. 

It’s been days since the claiming and nothing have happened. Liam knows that the dreams don’t start immediately after the claiming, that it takes time due to their shared bond being so new and raw, but he’s also aware their five-way relationship isn’t entirely normal. The first time Niall dreamt, which is also the only time so far, they all woke up and it ended with Harry killing a poor servant. Niall hadn’t even been claimed then, and now… Now, Liam can hear Harry in the room next to his, groaning and screaming, thrashing around and hitting on his locked door. 

He bites down on his lower lip and puts his hands over his face, because now he can feel what Harry feels as well and everything is multiplying in feeling a thousand times. Harry bangs on his door and shouts for someone to open, and it’s probably only a matter of time before the door gets knocked down. He might be a young vampire, but he’s still strong enough to kick a door down no matter the number of locks that have been put up, especially when driven by his bloodlust. There’s a risk he might kill someone again and Liam wonders if they’ll all feel it, if even Niall will feel it when Harry sinks his teeth into flesh and empties the life out of some innocent random. Will Harry be bitten again or will he receive a worse punishment for repeating his actions? Liam honestly doesn’t care, but he knows Niall will be shaken up about it. 

Abruptly the banging stops end it gets very quiet. Liam is out of his bed before he knows it, walking over to his door and stepping out in the corridor. He immediately takes a look at Harry’s door, but finds it still standing and he frowns to himself. 

“What’s going on?” 

He turns and finds both Zayn and Louis out of their rooms and walking towards him. Liam looks back at the door again, nerves itching inside his stomach at the creepy silence and he gets closer and starts opening up the locks. 

“Is that wise?” Zayn wonders and Liam can feel (as well as hear) him moving behind him, as if about to reach out and stop him. 

Liam pushes the handle down and turns back to them, tries to find enough concentration to transfer some confidence to them. 

“Lock the door behind me”, he says and they don’t get a chance to ask what he’s going to do, before he gets inside the room and closes the door behind him. 

It’s dark in there, but to Liam it doesn’t matter. He can still see clearly and he finds Harry completely naked and crouched in a corner on the floor and hugging his thighs closely to his chest. His face is turned away from him and trembling fingers are clutching to his curls. Behind him, he can hear the locks being quickly put back on the door again. He breathes out. 

Carefully, Liam walks closer, all the while as something inside his stomach aches and twists like he’s _hungry_ – wondering silently if Harry has even noticed his presence – and bends down to his level on the floor. He reaches out, with a bit of a tremor and his palm sweaty, and grips Harry’s shoulder. He yanks softly and Harry’s head immediately shoots up, his eyes dark and glaring. 

“Har-“, Liam starts, but the younger vampire is already throwing himself on him, using his incredible speed and strength. Harry roars and they tumble on the floor until Harry lands on top, pinning Liam down by his shoulders. His eyes are black and red, and it’s far worse than Liam could’ve guessed. He looks ready to kill. Liam knows he wants to.  
He glances down Harry’s naked body, remembers it exactly the same as ten years ago, and notices how full and hard his cock is. It’s practically red and screaming for someone to touch it. His arousal is quickly transferring to Liam – has transferred already – and Liam raises an eyebrow at him, calmly. 

“Go on, then. Fuck me”, he instructs, but Harry only continues to breathe heavily, wheezing. Liam can feel his hesitation and suddenly it hits him – Harry can’t fuck him, even if he wanted to. 

_Things are going to get awfully interesting in the bedroom,_ Louis had said and it stuns Liam. Never did he think Harry would be the one to submit, again, considering the way the rules have changed. They’ve all been claimed by each other, Harry has claimed Liam just as much as Liam has claimed him, and yet he cannot play the dominant part in this. 

“Alright”, Liam mutters under his breath, reaches up and roughly pulls the younger vampire down to meet his lips. It’s been ten fucking years since the last time they did this and Liam has to admit he never ever thought it would happen again, but faith and prophecies sure has a way of fucking certain futures up. 

He tries to kiss properly and be somewhat soft about it, but Harry doesn’t seem to want that and instead bites down on his lips, fangs dropped, grazing deeply and drawing blood around Liam’s mouth. Liam fists his hand into Harry’s hair, growls at him and pulls his head back, exposing his neck for his own teeth. Harry hisses, tries to pry his head free of Liam’s grip and Liam only responds by gripping to his hair tighter, arching himself up and throwing them both around so he’s on top, nestled in between Harry’s legs. The other vampire groans when his back harshly hits the floor and he glares up at Liam. He makes a few tiny puffs of protest and Liam can’t help it – because he hears blood simmering in his ears and he can _feel_ Harry’s hate towards him, how dark and ugly it is – when he smirks down at him. Gritting his teeth and his eyes going impossibly darker, Harry shoves him off and sends him flying across the floor. He isn’t going to make this easy for Liam, of course not. 

Liam is up quickly from the floor, gripping Harry by the neck and speeding over to the bed. He dumps him there, face first, and then pulls his own t-shirt over his head. Harry is turning around on the bed, fist suddenly raised as if to hit Liam while he’s busy pulling his boxers down. Liam sees it coming, has a chance to think that maybe this is for the best to let Harry have a go at him, maybe it might make things better for the future, and then the fist collides with his jaw, hard like a rock. 

It looks like Harry is going to hit him again and Liam growls angrily, hisses a _no,_ making Harry recoil back immediately. This isn’t what Liam came here for – he didn’t come here so Harry could take his hate out on him, he came here to try and control his bloodlust, both of their bloodlusts. 

“Lie down”, he snaps and strokes himself slowly. 

“Just like old times”, Harry spits back, snarling, but does as he’s told nevertheless. “Imagine what a gentleman the Prince will believe you to be when you order him to lie the fuck down and spread his legs for you.”

Liam’s hand stills on his dick and his eyebrows knit together. This is nothing like that and Liam is sure Harry knows it, so instead of arguing back he says: “Shut up.”

Then, he climbs into the bed and pushes Harry’s knees harshly apart. The younger one groans softly and Liam pushes his legs up until he’s easily positioned in front of his hole. Yes, he would be somewhat lying if he claimed this wasn’t partially like the old times with Harry. 

He pushes in, Harry’s nails claw at his back as he moans loudly and Liam has to fight them down and hold his arms tightly to get any control. Harry opens his eyes for only a moment, smirks briefly as if he’s hoping this might punish Liam in anyway. Liam buries his face in his neck, licks and bites with every thrust he gives, and can’t for the life of him care about Harry’s hate. If it’ll be their doom, there’s nothing they can do but wait and see. 

-

_A month._

Niall thought time would go slower, thought he’d have all the time in the world to do something, _anything._ At times he thinks that maybe he can persuade his parents into blowing this whole thing off – forget about the marriage, the mating, the _everything_ and just let him be a normal, teenage human boy despite being already claimed. 

His last month left in freedom is spent making preparations for the wedding. Invitations are sent out, new cameras are put up in the throne hall and the whole wedding ceremony is rehearsed again and again. 

Time passes quicker than ever before (still the wounds around Niall’s neck from the claiming takes longer and longer to completely heal) and when Niall and his mates aren’t busy preparing for the wedding, they make smaller trips to different locations in the land for the sake of _bonding_ with each other. Niall hasn’t spent much time travelling or visiting places during his time growing up – everywhere he goes there’s always someone recognizing him. Sometimes they want to praise him and other times they want to hunt him with forks. It hasn’t ever been properly safe out there for him, but at least now, as claimed, there’s no vampires trying to take him. Once claimed, you can’t be claimed again. It would be futile to try, maybe even dangerous for the ones who do. 

It’s also a mess out there. Humans and vampires live very much separated from each other and there are whispers of battles and wars being fought across the ocean. Niall can feel the weight on his shoulders getting heavier with every day that passes and still he’s supposed to be prioritizing his upcoming wedding. This ceremony will also be shown on TV, but Niall doesn’t care about that anymore. It’s only a minor bad thing in all of this. At least he won’t have to make any more interviews.

His sleeping habits are getting worse and worse. Niall thought, what with the claiming ceremony being over with, that maybe he’d get some peace in his mind, maybe exhaustion would take over and let him sleep properly. He was wrong. Every night he dreams another vivid dream and each feels more and more real. Even though Harry, Louis, Liam and Zayn are all locked away in their rooms in another part of the castle, Niall can still _feel_ their struggle with every dream and he’s afraid someone will get hurt again. He’s afraid to dream, he’s afraid to sleep and therefore he keeps most of his nights awake. During the day, he naps every now and then but not long enough that he might find himself deep within yet another dream.

Everyone notices that he’s not alright, but there’s not much anyone can do. His mother has begged him to sleep and his father has yelled, but he doesn’t listen. It’s his sleep and his dreams, and while there’s not much he can control in his life, at least he can control this. It doesn’t help, when the days get closer to the wedding and he keeps himself awake yet another night, that he can still feel their bloodlust and their want. It’s like their animalistic side knows it’s close to the time of mating and the beasts lying beneath the surfaces of their skin are slowly crawling their way out. It scares Niall more than anything. 

One night, while lying awake in his bed and staring at his ceiling (he swears he’s close to madness, he can feel his mates’ moods rushing in his blood and thudding in his head), there’s a knock on his door. Niall is sure it’s his mother, coming to beg him yet again to sleep some, and therefore he doesn’t answer. It knocks again, louder and sharper, and Niall glares at his door. 

“Come in”, he snaps and the door immediately opens. 

Niall has to blink a few times, because in through the door comes Zayn and Niall is almost sure this is another dream of his. After pinching his own skin, he realizes it isn’t. He sits abruptly up in bed, thinks that _this is it, this is the moment when one of his mates snaps and comes to kill him_ but Zayn doesn’t move. He stands by the door silently and after a while, Niall reaches over to his bedside table and switches his lamp on. 

“You shouldn’t be here”, he says and squints at Zayn, eyes unused to the light. 

“I know”, Zayn says with a shrug, turns and closes the door behind him. “Yet, here I am.”

He walks further into the room, glances around as if he’s taking the opportunity to figure out what kind of person Niall is by looking at his walls and his belongings spread on the floor. There’s not much the stuff in Niall’s room say about him, though. Everything that matters is hiding in boxes or drawers. 

“You could get in trouble for this”, Niall points out and Zayn looks at him, eyes dark but not intimidating. 

“I understand you have trouble sleeping”, Zayn says, ignores his words, and Niall can’t help but roll his eyes. Out of his four mates, he wouldn’t ever have thought Zayn to be the one to come here and lecture him of the necessity of sleeping. Liam would’ve been a safe guess, or maybe even Louis, but not Zayn. 

The vampire stops by Niall’s bed and stares at him. To be honest, Niall is a bit disappointed. He thought Zayn would be the one to cut him some slack, but it seems as if he was wrong. 

“It’s important that you sleep. You need to rest.”

Niall doesn’t know where it comes from, but suddenly he’s laughing and it sounds strange to his ears – cold and sad. Zayn continues to stare at him, not fazed by Niall’s sudden craziness. 

“I need to rest? So, what, you can fuck me as hard as you like during the mating ceremony? So that I’ll be prepared to _take it?_ ” the Prince wonders and manages to calm his hysterical laughter some. 

His eyes focus on the boy in front of him, daring him to say that he’s absolutely wrong. 

“No”, Zayn says calmly. “Because you have vampires and people out there counting on you and it’d be a right pity if you collapsed in front of the cameras on the day of the wedding.” 

Niall scoffs and looks away from him. He’s tired of hearing people say that others are relying on him, trusting him and believing everything he does is the right thing. He’s tired. Tired of everything. 

None of them say anything for a while and Zayn just stands there next to his bed staring, until suddenly the mattress dips and Niall turns to watch him climb in. Zayn gets close, makes himself comfortable in a half-lying position and opens his arms up for the blonde. 

“Lie down”, he says. “Sleep.”

Niall looks at him doubtfully and shakes his head slowly. “What if I have a dream?”

“I think the others will manage”, Zayn says. 

“And you?”

There’s a frown covering Zayn’s features, but he quickly recovers and gives a reassuring smile. “I’ll be fine.” 

Zayn’s embrace does look very tempting and Niall’s so tired he can barely think clearly anymore. He carefully lies down, pulls his covers around himself – suddenly aware that he’s only in his underwear – and lets the strange new feeling of Zayn’s arms around him hit him. Hard. They’re breaking so many rules by doing this (somehow, Niall can’t help but feel pleased by that fact). 

“It won’t be long now”, Zayn says and Niall doesn’t know whether he means until he has fallen asleep, turned eighteen, to the wedding, the mating or him turning into a vampire. 

Niall falls asleep with the different possibilities of the meaning behind Zayn’s words swimming around in his head. Eventually, he dreams of _them,_ dreams of their lips and their kisses. At one time, the feeling of a pair of lips on his is so real that he opens his eyes to find a pair of brown ones staring back at him. Zayn smiles at him, kisses him again so very softly, and as their noses bump he whispers, “Soon we’ll get to do that as much as we want.” 

Then, he’s gone and Niall falls back into his sleep and finds himself once again in his land of dreams. He sleeps with a smile on his lips. (Too late, he realizes why Zayn was the one sent to get him to finally give into his tiredness. Because he’s Niall’s favourite. And now they all know. Those clever fucks.) 

-

“This is it, my friends”, Louis says with a sly grin and Harry can’t really grasp that the day of their wedding to the Prince of Horan has actually arrived. “In a matter of minutes, we’ll be fucking married to the sweet Prince of Horan. And then, after all the festivities are over and done with, we’ll finally get what we’ve been craving for a whole damn month now.”

“We’ve still got to be careful with him”, Liam reminds and straightens his tie one last time. 

The bells in the clock tower of the castle are suddenly ringing, telling them to get ready to enter the throne hall. 

“You mean we shouldn’t suck his bones dry while we fuck him like Harold wants?” Louis wonders, feigning confusion and takes his place in their row of four. Harry slaps him in the back of his head and the older vampire laughs loudly. 

“I mean, he’ll still be _human_ ”, Liam says dully and then the gigantic doors open for them, not giving Louis or anyone else time to answer. 

Harry stares straight ahead, a tense feeling of anticipation filling his stomach as he walks in behind Louis just when the music starts. Inside, important friends – both vampires and humans – sit in benches and watch their every move as they walk towards the front of the hall. White orchids are decorating the walls and large chandeliers are standing on the floor down the aisle. It’s beautiful – breath-taking almost – and Harry tries as hard as possible to concentrate on this moment and not think too much ahead. 

They’ve lived in the castle for little over a month now, they’ve spent time with Niall and gotten to know him in some ways. Still, they haven’t actually _lived together_ in that particular way or gotten to know Niall on any deeper level. And now, now the wedding is here and tonight the mating will happen and in a few days they’re off to live in their new mansion. Harry guesses it’s not until they’ve arrived there and gotten settled that they can finally start to work on functioning as a proper family, if that’s even possible. Sometimes Harry doubts it. 

When they reach the front of the hall, they stop and wait for the music to silence. It’s quiet in there for a short, tense moment – someone coughs in the back of the rows – and then new music starts to play. All the guests rise from their benches, the King and Queen rise from their chairs right to the left of them, and then they wait for the doors to open. The fleeting thought of _maybe the boy has run away after all_ enters Harry’s mind, but suddenly he can hear a heartbeat clearer than any other human’s in there and sense that familiar smell in the air. 

The door opens and in walks the Prince, dressed in a white suit with emblems, his crest and medals hanging from his chest. On his head rests a silver crown in his nest of golden hair. Niall keeps his eyes straight, his head held high and he bears the faintest of smile – all for the cameras, Harry can tell – as every guest inside beams for him. His smell is enthralling, as if it sings to Harry, and it quickly fills the hall. Harry’s glad that he’s had time to get used to the smell, that him and the boys have been fucking regularly, that he’s been spending time- Oh, right. 

Yes, the past weeks him, Liam, Zayn and Louis have been fucking each other to keep themselves sane. If they hadn’t been, Harry doesn’t even dare to wonder how the mating ceremony tonight would’ve ended. Ever since the claiming and Harry got a taste of Niall’s blood, that’s been all has been able to think about. His blood, his skin, his flesh, his heartbeat… Fucking each other – without Niall knowing for that matter – wasn’t exactly ideal, but it had to be done for Niall’s sake. It had to be done for Niall’s safety during the mating ceremony. They will tell him about it, eventually. Surely. 

Niall finally comes up to them, stops at the bottom of their row to lean in and place a kiss on Liam’s cheek, then followed by Zayn. Harry’s next and he catches Niall’s eyes only swiftly before he leans in and places a soft kiss to his cheek. He can feel it in the kiss how much Niall is trembling both on the outside as well as the inside and Harry loves it, thrives on it. Louis’ cheek is kissed and then Niall takes his place in front of them, head at first slightly bowed but then held high once again. Harry listens to the irregular, nervous beating of Niall’s heart, stares at his blushing cheeks and has to grit his teeth to regain some control. 

The music stops and at the front a woman in red cloaks appears and she tells the guests to have a seat again. She’s not a priest, because Niall isn’t religious, but she’s a political representative of the humans. 

“Welcome”, she – Harry thinks her name is Cher – says clearly and smiles. “We are gathered here today to join Niall – the Prince of Horan, the human child of vampires, the future High Vampire and The Chosen One with Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Liam Payne and Zayn Malik to be lawfully wedded husbands.” 

When she pauses, her hands move in their directions and she smiles even wider when she continues. “Today is a day of joy, of new beginnings and certain futures. Here is where we find five separate and different individuals about to be made into a whole.”

Harry licks his lips, looks at Niall again and tries in vain for only a moment to catch his eyes. The Prince is purposefully avoiding all of their gazes, Harry is sure. 

Cher continues to speak, mentions something about _life_ and _roads_ and _choices_ and _those you hold dear._ Soon enough she’s talking about the same thing over and over again, only using different words. Harry can feel himself getting restless. 

It’s been a little over half an hour – a few songs have been sung and Cher has talked some more – and it’s time for the Queen’s speech. She smiles warmly when she walks past them and mouths a few comforting words of something in Niall’s direction. 

She takes Cher’s place and looks to be close to tears before even having begun her speech. Taking a deep breath, she tries calming herself again. 

“I know almost every mother thinks the world of their child. Upon laying their eyes on their new-born for the very first time, a mother swears she will do anything to protect her child and do what’s best for it. Now, I’m a vampire”, she says and cuts herself off by laughing with the guests. “I know, shocking. But as a vampire I never thought I’d get to have something as special as that – motherhood. Then, I found myself pregnant with you, _Niall,_ and it was a miracle I never thought I could ever hope for. I knew you were a special child and I had no idea whether I was going to thank God or the progress of nature. The only thing I did know was that your life was a gift to us – your father and I – and we were going to do everything in our power to protect you and keep you happy.”

Her smile falters and you don’t have to be a mind reader to know keeping Niall happy during these circumstances of the arranged marriage hasn’t been exactly easy. 

“Destiny is a sacred thing, my son”, she sighs through another teary smile. “And if it weren’t for destiny, then you wouldn’t be standing here today. Maybe you wouldn’t even be born. Destiny has given you four husbands, mates, and I hope they will make you as happy as your father and I have tried. Above all, I wish that you’ll be safe, I wish that you’ll trust in your future and I wish for your husbands to be there through everything. Happy eighteenth birthday, Niall and – as Spock would say – _live long and prosper."_

Everyone applauds, the guests stand up and the Queen laughs again. She leaves the front, squeezes Niall’s hand as she passes by and Harry still can’t believe the Queen of Horan quoted _Star Trek._ At her son’s wedding. The applauds continue, Niall quickly wipes his cheek clear of a tear, and Cher takes her place again, also she clapping her hands. When it finally gets quiet inside the hall again and the guests have taken their seats, Cher tells them that _it’s time._

Five golden rings are brought forward to her – all of their names engraved inside. She takes the five rings in the palm of her hand and walks down to stand between them and Niall. Taking hold of Niall’s hand, she turns to his parents and asks, “The King and Queen of Horan, do you agree to this union?”

“Yes”, they both say, without a second thought. 

Cher slips Niall’s ring onto his finger and asks, “Do you, Niall, take Louis to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

The blonde boy manages to sweep his gaze over them, lands on Louis and swallows thickly before he answers, “I do.”

“Do you, Louis, take the Prince of Horan to be you lawfully wedded husband?”

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry sees the smirk playing on Louis’ lips. Harry’s had a taste of that and he understands why Niall is so nervous. He should be. 

“I do”, Louis says and his smile widens as Cher slips his ring onto his finger. 

Niall’s cheeks are slowly turning red as it becomes Harry’s turn. Harry catches his eyes, holds them and breathes in that silly, mouth-watering smell. 

“Do you, Niall, take Harry to be your lawfully wedded husband?” 

Niall’s eyes grow big like he has come to understand that this is a big mistake and that he should’ve run when he had the chance. Still, he answers, “I do”, like a good boy. 

Cher repeats the question for Harry and he smiles as well when he says, “I do”, and enjoys the heavy feeling of the golden wedding band as it falls down his finger. 

When she has put a golden ring on everyone’s finger and everyone has said their _I do’s_ , the music starts playing again. The guests stand up to clap and Cher says, “You may now kiss your husbands.”

The bells of the tower start to ring, flower petals are dropped like confetti from the ceiling and the hall is filled with cheering. Niall walks up to Louis through the mess of white flowers raining down on him, eyes glued to the ground, and Louis waits him out until he himself has lifted his head to look up at him. Louis smiles innocently (yet not) with eyes narrowed and grips Niall’s chin with his thumb and forefinger. He leans down, presses his lips to Niall’s and even though it can’t be _seen_ , Harry can _hear_ Louis’s tongue entering Niall’s mouth briefly. When he pulls back, he puts his mouth to Niall’s ear. 

“Tonight we’ll make all your dreams come true”, he promises in a dark whisper. 

No human, except Niall, can hear his words and for those vampires who’re listening in, they still sound innocent enough. Niall pales (and maybe that’s a good thing, because Harry’s the one to kiss him next and he really doesn’t want to bite his face off thanks to all the blood rushing to it) and suddenly he’s standing in front of Harry. It’s been a month since the claiming ceremony and Harry being close to killing him, it’s been a month where he and Liam haven’t elaborated any further on their relationship to each other and Harry knows Niall is still angry at him. The blonde’s eyes are dark as they look up at him and Harry can’t help but grin, loving this side of their Prince. 

He cups Niall’s cheek and leans down, capturing the bottom lip in a tender nip. He sees it as a personal victory that he doesn’t bite deeper. 

Liam kisses Niall like a gentleman – doesn’t bite or let his tongue sink in – and Harry loves that Niall is, for some reason, even more furious with Liam than him. 

When it comes to Zayn, Niall’s cheeks heat up again and he smiles shyly up at the vampire. Zayn returns the smile, soft and casual, then places his hand on the back of his head and pulls him close. Zayn’s kiss is firm and he lingers with his forehead against Niall’s for a few seconds when he pulls back, as if he needs time to let go. 

Together, the five of them walk down the aisle – smiling and waving at the guests, with petals resting in their hair and clouding their vision – and through the exit of the hall. The bells ring with joy with every step they take. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone else stuck with blue balls? Because I am. And I'm a girl for Christ's sake.


	5. Chapter 5

The golden wedding band glitters in the flickering light of the chandeliers standing on the table. Niall studies the ring, imagines a slight heaviness to it and feels as if it’s trying to imprint on his skin, etching and burning to stay there forever. It’s over and done with now and he actually has four husbands to rely on for the future. It’s a strange feeling to have four vampires in this very hall bound to him. They’re someone he’s supposed to trust wholeheartedly, to consider, to think of after a long day. 

_Love, cherish and obey_ – that’s what he’s supposed to do. He belongs to them and they belong to him and Niall can’t even begin to understand how that is going to work. He _belongs_ to someone now. Sure, in some way he did belong to his parents before this, but still not in the same way, not with the same obligations or the same kind of love. 

A whole month has passed and they’ve had their time to get to know each other (during some of the times when they were actually, properly alone, Niall imagines they worked greatly together, as if sparks were flying between their souls). Even so, it feels as if he’s going to enter a bedroom with four strangers tonight and he has no idea how he’ll make it through. The thought is killing him, slowly stripping him of his last courage. 

_Tonight we’ll make all your dreams come through_ , Louis had said. Niall sincerely hopes that won’t happen. 

“Son, why don’t you tell your mother what a great speech she made?” the King suddenly says, breaking Niall away from his thoughts. 

He looks up at his parents, sitting across from him with each other’s hands clasped together and smiling as if they’re the only ones existing in the room. Love. Niall wonders if he’ll one day learn how to feel that emotion the same way as they do. He frowns, has already lost his father’s words in the mass of chattering in the hall and his mother suddenly laughs. 

“I may be old, but I still know my _Star Trek_ , don’t I, Niall?” she says and turns to look at him. 

He manages a smile, but the sadness still rests in his eyes (luckily his parents are too caught up in each other to notice) and he already misses his mother and father badly. For some reason, they feel alienated to him now and he knows it’s because his bond to them have been broken. Still, he never thought it would feel this much, as if someone is slowly ripping his heart out. A bit too late, he realizes he doesn’t want to let go of his parents already. Eighteen years doesn’t feel enough for him anymore, now that he has finally understood what it is he has lost. (If it had been a few days ago, he would’ve gladly run away from his parents without a second thought.) 

The hall for festivities is bigger than the throne hall and this one is also decorated with white orchids. It’s Niall’s favourite flower and maybe one day, when he’s busy being the High Vampire, he’ll have a garden filled with them. 

Everyone is sitting at smaller, round tables and at his table sits his four husbands and his parents. Louis sits casually in his chair opposite to him, occasionally swapping words with his parents and Harry right next to him. He has a mix of blood and scotch in his glass and sometimes in the middle of talking, his eyes slide to meet Niall’s, resting there until he drinks from his glass and snaps back out of it. They all send looks his way, each one hungry and dark, making Niall’s mouth go dry. 

All of a sudden, Zayn leans into him from his left side and mumbles, “Let’s dance.”

Niall nods, puts his hand into Zayn’s and tries not to blush as his father starts applauding – gathering everyone’s attention until they’re all cheering with him. Zayn leads him out to the middle of the floor, puts a hand to Niall’s hip and the other around Niall’s hand. Music starts playing, Niall quickly puts his hand on Zayn’s shoulder, and then they move. Pictures are quickly being snapped of them and Niall smiles for them, smiles for everyone, smiles for the papers who’ll likely print the pictures later. 

Then, as things settle and their dance can finally be enjoyed, he says in a careful murmur, “I don’t know how to do this.” 

His mind is spinning with feelings and he doesn’t know what to do or how to act. On one side, he’s sad to be split from his parents. On the other side, his head and his hormones are being pushed by the feelings of his four mates, as he feels their fucking _desire_ being thrown upon him, bleeding hotly through the bond. 

Zayn grips him tighter and Niall looks up at him. “Just follow me”, the vampire says simply. 

Snorting with quiet laughter found somewhere deep within, the Prince shakes his head. “No, not _this_. I mean… everything else.”

Zayn just looks at him, eyes glistening in the golden light and smiles softly (sometimes it feels like Zayn is hiding some kind of secret when he smiles, especially due to the shadows resting beneath those lashes). Then, he leans in and pecks Niall’s lips a few times before leaning his temple to his, mouth suddenly by Niall’s ear when he says, “Just follow _us_.” 

Niall wishes he dared to do that. 

He dances with every one of them and all the guests spend their time taking photos and eventually joining them on the dance floor. Then Niall dances with his mother, tries again to smile with her happiness and feel it the same way as her, and ignores it when she sighs in his ear. 

“We’re proud of you, son”, his father says when they come back to sit at the table. His mother strokes his cheek and tells him that she loves him. Niall only forces another smile again and is about to tell her the same when a servant comes up to them and awkwardly clears her throat. 

“It’s time”, the servant says. 

Niall would like to wonder _for what?_ only to give the servant the opportunity to tell him it’s time for something else than what’s already in the plans. Time for an interview with another journalist, time for an emergency speech to his people, time to run. But no. Niall knows perfectly well what it’s time for and he shouldn’t waste his time acting stupid in front of everyone here. 

He looks over the servant’s shoulder, catches his four husbands standing together and exchanging quiet words. They look up, as if they can _feel_ what’s about to happen and Niall forces himself not to flush. 

The King clinks his glass loudly and every guest there stop what they’re doing and turn their attention to him. 

“It’s time for my son to be mated”, he exclaims and everyone – come to think of it, Niall doesn’t know anyone there but they all still seem to know him – start cheering and shouting out their wishes of luck. 

Niall gets pulled along with his servants, manages to cast one last look at his parents smiling widely at him before he enters the corridor outside and then he’s safely transported through to the other side of the castle. His mates can’t be seen anywhere and Niall frowns, not remembering this part in all his studies. 

They reach the bedroom chosen for the final ceremony and only his most loyal servant follows him inside. Candles have been lit, rose petals are covering the floor around the enormous bed and Niall turns around to face his servant helplessly. His name is Josh and Niall doesn’t know why he chooses this moment to remember that. 

Josh smiles at him as if he knows exactly how Niall must be feeling, then reaches out and pats his shoulder. “I wish you a good night, my Prince”, he says and then Niall is left alone in the bedroom. 

If mating wasn’t such a huge part of vampire tradition and in their nature, then Niall would’ve blamed them all for being old-fashioned and stupid. It’s been hundreds of years since people consummated a marriage like this. These days, people have been fucking for at least three years before they even get married. On the night of the wedding, there’s never any pressure – people already know perfectly well what to expect and usually get what they want too. 

Niall lets out a deep breath, feels that recognizable nausea rise inside of him and curses how he’s practically dripping with cold sweat underneath his clothes. Where are they? Shouldn’t they be here by now? (He can’t help but hope, that maybe the mating ceremony will be postponed at least a day for whatever reason.) He slowly lifts his crown off his head and places it on the desk by the mirror (next to it stands a bottle of oil and Niall really doesn’t want to guess what it’s for), almost feeling ashamed by how relieved he is to be rid of the weight on his head. Then, he pulls his white jacket off, careful not to let any of the emblems or medals fall off, and rests it over the back of an empty chair. 

“Good, you’re already getting undressed.”

He startles and quickly turns around, finding the boys, his husbands, his _mates_ entering the room. Louis – the one who spoke, obviously – smirks at him and closes the door behind them, turning the lock. It clicks loudly in the room and Niall is filled with a strange feeling, one which he can’t describe. 

“We should talk about this first”, Liam says and both Louis and Harry make noises of complaint. Liam glares at them. 

Ever grateful, the blonde nods and carefully makes his way over to the bed and sits down – not trusting his wobbly legs much longer. He looks up at the four of them, hovering tall and dark and threatening above him. A shiver runs down his spine. 

“You’ve had mating explained to you, right? You’ve had studies in it?” Liam continues. 

“Yeah”, Niall confirms. 

“Then you know it can get kind of… rough”, Zayn says, the last word sounding like a low rumble. 

Harry takes a seat next to him on the bed, a smile playing on his lips as he shrugs casually at Niall. “It’s in our nature. We have to let our animalistic side out because if we don’t and we restrain ourselves, then we risk biting you. Or something worse.” 

Niall breathes out and then looks up at Louis, standing right in front of him with eyes giving him a considering look. He knows there’s something he’d like to say. 

“You know, _Ni_ ”, he starts, lifts a hand and works the button of his suit jacket open while walking over to the empty chair. “The four of us have been waiting as patiently as we can for this moment, despite the insane bloodlust we’ve been put through. I know you can in some way feel our emotions and have somewhat of an idea of what torment we’ve been going through. But trust me on this, dear Prince, that the amount of emotions you’ve been receiving from us is only a minor fraction of what we really feel.” 

He pauses to pull his jacket off and drapes it neatly over Niall’s on the chair. He starts working on the buttons of his shirt as he turns back to look at the blonde. 

“Now, if it was up to me and I was your only mate, then I would’ve turned you as quick as possible despite what you thought of it. And then”, he says and points to the bed. “I would’ve strapped you to that bed and fucked you until you – not even as a vampire – would be able to take it anymore.” 

A thrill goes through the Prince and for a moment he imagines a possible future, with him as a vampire and tied to a bed somewhere. Niall glances at the others uneasily, notices that Zayn has skipped out of his jacket too and Liam is busy taking his wrist watch off. Next to him, Harry hasn’t moved yet. 

“Sadly, my proposition was voted against and now we still have to mate with you as a human, virginal boy after all and despite what Harry said, we’ll have to hold ourselves back some not to break you. Vampires mating with humans, isn’t a thing often heard of because no one usually does it. It’s not considered safe enough.”

Now, Niall understands why the High Vampiress had looked at bit confused when he told her of his plans. For a moment, he wonders if perhaps this is a stupid idea and if he should get turned after all. He thinks of it silently and can only find one conclusion. He doesn’t want to die yet. It’s the last thing he wants. He isn’t done being a human. 

“Suit yourself”, Louis says, as if he knows how Niall has made his mind up before even hearing it. “We’re on top of the food chain and dominant by nature. We can only hope you’ll be able to take it.”

“He’ll be fine, Louis”, Liam cuts in. Louis pulls his white shirt off, exposing his bare chest for the very first time for Niall and suddenly Harry gets up from the bed. 

“You’ll be okay, Niall”, Liam continues and grabs his attention. “We’re your mates. We’ll feel if you’re in any distress.”

It’s supposed to be reassuring and comforting, but Niall has a hard time believing Liam’s words. 

“You should probably continue getting undressed”, Harry says, raising an eyebrow at him. 

“Or maybe we should do it”, Zayn suggests. 

They all stop what they’re doing and stare at Niall. Harry grins smugly and says, “You’re right.” 

Niall gets crowded – Harry comes at the front, starts pulling his shirt from his trousers and loosening the tie around his neck. Someone pushes at him from behind, stubble grazes his cheek and he realizes it’s Zayn standing there with hands reaching around his waist to open up his trousers. He leans into Zayn’s touch, thinks he feels a kiss being pressed to his neck when his tie disappears. Harry’s eyes rest on him while he gets his shirt open, his eyes glinting in the dim light of the room. As if hypnotized, Niall reaches his arms out when Harry’s done and lets him pull it off. His shirt is dropped to the floor, Harry’s eyes focus on his naked chest and he slowly licks his lips. 

“Harry”, Zayn mutters, warns, and after a short moment of continued staring the younger vampire quickly twists away. 

Louis chuckles darkly, takes Harry’s place in front of Niall and widens his grin as the Prince notices that he’s fully naked. A gasp accidentally escapes him, at the sight of how _hard_ Louis is. 

“Like what you see?” the vampire muses. 

He pushes at Niall’s chest, making him fall on his back onto the bed, and then Zayn is there between his legs and pulling his trousers off the rest of the way. 

“We’ll just give Harry a moment to collect himself so he can put that expert tongue of his to good use on you”, Louis says and looks down at him. “Ever heard of rimming before? Don’t worry, you’ll love it. Harry’s great at it.”

The blonde frowns, his head spinning a bit and for some reason he asks, “How would you know?”

It’s visibly clear how much they all freeze up. Zayn looks to Louis, who looks to Harry and behind Niall, Liam suddenly is and he says, “Niall, listen to us – “

“We’ve fucked each other”, Louis cuts off and looks down at him again. His face is expressionless, not showing any sign of this being a joke or any remorse if it’s true. Niall’s frown deepens and he sits up in the bed. 

“What?”

Behind him, Liam shuffles onto the bed, a hand landing on Niall’s shoulder and rubbing gently. 

“What Louis is trying to say…”, he starts and the vampire in question rolls his eyes, throwing his hands up in the air. 

“Not another lame fucking excuse, Liam. Just be honest with him”, he says loudly and kind of frantically, pointing with his whole hand at the blonde. Then, he sinks to his knees in front of Niall and places his hands on his thighs, staring innocently up into Niall’s eyes. It’s nothing if not a mockery. 

“Yes, love, we’ve been fucking each other for weeks now. We’ve had to or otherwise we would’ve kicked your fucking door in and had our wicked little way with you a long time ago. You know, Harry wanted to fuck you while he sucked your bones dry. Now, I don’t see any happy ending to that kind of story even if I do get where he’s coming from”, Louis rambles and Niall glares at him. 

He uses all his strength to push him away from him and then gets up from the bed. He twists his hands, stares at the door and his possible escape but instead turns back around to face them. 

“So, you’ve all been fucking behind my back? Without even thinking of telling me?” he spits, feeling his anger rise with every moment that passes. 

“Niall”, Zayn tries, voice coaxing as he holds a hand out for him. 

The Prince gives him a dark look, because now it makes sense why Zayn told him – during that night he came to his room – that the others would manage if Niall allowed himself to sleep before the wedding. Now he gets how _Zayn_ was able to control himself as he stayed with him. All their fucking probably took a great deal of the edge off. 

“You’ve lied to me. You’ve all been lying to me”, he says. 

“We haven’t lied to you”, Harry protests from the corner where’s he’s standing, obviously finally regained some control of himself to know what’s going on.

“That’s awfully funny coming from the biggest liar of them all”, Niall shoots back, thinking of how Harry’s been lying about him and Liam all this time and _still_ is. 

“We haven’t been lying”, Harry tries again with all the patience he can find. “We just chose not to tell you.”

Niall scoffs and can feel himself backing towards the door without actually knowing how his unsteady legs are managing it. “Isn’t that the definition of lying? To _hold back information?_ ”

The door hits his back with a thud. Sitting on the floor, Louis – in his completely naked form – is gazing up at the ceiling. He exhales a deep breath and swiftly gets up, looking like he doesn’t have to use a single muscle, and says, “Right, the drama is over. Now, get back on the bed, Niall.”

Niall only stares at him and doesn’t move an inch, clings to the door handle behind him like his life depends on it. 

“Get back on the fucking bed”, Louis repeats, louder and with more force behind his words. 

“Or else?”

His heart manages to beat three times, skips one, and Louis’ lips settle into a bitter line. “ _Or else,_ I’ll have to _make_ you.” 

Niall quickly considers his options. Outside and in the other side of the castle, the party is still probably going strong. There are definitely guards and servants waiting further down the corridor. If he decides to escape and run, then how far will he get? Will anyone be able to hear his screams before one, or maybe all, of his husbands manages to catch him in the corridor? Will anyone even care about what’s going on – about what has been going on? Are his parents even going to listen when he tells them his four mates have been fucking behind his back? 

“You don’t really care, do you? This is only a way for you to try and get out of this, isn’t it?” Louis suddenly says. 

Niall couldn’t answer that even if he wanted to, because he honestly doesn’t know. He thinks some part of him is feeling betrayed, but perhaps that’s only his fear talking.  
He stares at Louis silently, watches his lips curve into another one of those pleased smiles of his. 

“Wouldn’t you know, our mate’s a clever one”, Louis says, grinning until he’s baring his sharp teeth. For the first time in his life, the Prince wishes he was a vampire, only so he’d be able to hit Louis and make it _hurt._

He raises his hands in defeat, marches over to the bed and drops his underwear along the way for sheer shock value. Louis continues to smile, ever amused, and catches his wrist before he can lie down. Niall looks up at him and Louis leans in, eyes raking over his face, until his lips are only millimetres from his. 

“Get on your hands and knees, love”, he says and kisses him. 

When he pulls back, Niall’s face heats up in his anger, but he does as he’s told anyway, climbing onto the bed. Through his anger, he’s suddenly very aware of how exposed he is completely naked and in this position. He chooses not to dwell on it, grits his teeth and slowly lifts his head. He just needs this to be over and done with. 

Liam is still sitting on the bed – chest bare but trousers still on – and he catches Niall’s eyes when he looks up, something unreadable flashing in those brown depths. Niall thinks of making some nasty remark, only for the sake of it, but drops the thought immediately at the feeling of something wet and _hot_ sliding against his bum cheeks, right over his crack. Fingers splay over his skin and separate him. Slowly, the tongue – Niall can only guess it belongs to Harry – dips into the crease, finding a spot there which makes Niall’s hips buck down and away in slight shock. 

There’s a hand, which isn’t Harry’s, pulling his hips back up again and Niall looks up at Liam again with his eyes wide. And then, Liam leans down and catches his lips. Niall expects the kiss to be gentle and calming, coming from Liam, but it’s not. Liam’s tongue delves in, takes absolute control of Niall’s mouth and laps at the insides as if he needs it to survive. The Prince fights to keep up, moans into the kiss when Liam buries his fingers in his hair and pulls hard to angle him right. Behind him, Harry’s fingers are clenching harder to his skin as his tongue digs deeper and then suddenly – _fuck_ , that _hurt_ – someone delivers a slap to his right bum cheek. He pulls away from the kiss, hears Louis’s cackling echo against the walls and glares over his shoulder. 

“I told you that you deserved a spanking”, Louis says simply. 

Niall continues to glare, but then Liam is using his grip on his hair to pull his attention back. His lips are immediately on his, teeth grazing just slightly. Without meaning to, his hips bucks down again at the feeling of Harry’s tongue getting deeper. 

“Keep your hips up, Niall”, a voice – Zayn – says hotly into his ear and then a hand slides down his spine, nails scraping to raise tiny bumps on his skin. 

Niall groans, because he’s _trying_ and it’s only getting harder and, _fuck,_ his half-hard dick twitched badly at that last twist of Harry’s tongue. Lips start to trail down with kisses on his back too, a clever tongue slipping out to lick at his dry cold sweat, before pulling away again and then Zayn says, “Shit, Liam, can you move a bit? I need my dick inside." 

Finally, Niall is allowed to breathe, but it’s only temporarily until Zayn is on his knees in front of him – golden dick hanging in the Prince’s face – and he leans down to kiss him briefly. His head is spinning badly, his mates’ emotions are being pushed as hard as possible on him and his walls are quickly breaking down with his anger. 

“Open your mouth”, Zayn whispers against his lips. “And keep it open.” 

A pool of fire gathers in his lower stomach, a feeling Niall recognizes easily and it stuns him because he doesn’t know how he can be this close already.  
New fingers slide into his hair and Zayn shuffles closer on his knees. His mouth falls open and Zayn trails a thumb down his jaw before pushing in – salty, that’s what it tastes and it’s heavy on his tongue. He does it carefully at first, as if trying Niall out and checking if he’ll carry, and gently pushes himself further and further in. Niall starts to gag, panics and tries to pull back but Zayn keeps him in his hold. 

“Relax your throat muscles. Relax them, Niall”, he orders and the blonde fights to do his command, manages it for a short moment. 

During that short moment, Zayn takes the opportunity to push rest of the way in and when Niall stares up at him with watery eyes, he finds Zayn smiling down at him, pleased. Then, he pulls back out and Niall gasps for breath. Quickly, his dick is back at his mouth and this time shoves inside. Niall gags immediately, but this time Zayn slides out faster, only to get back in again and kicking the reflex again. He coughs and tries to relax. 

Behind him, Harry’s tongue has disappeared without him even noticing it. A hand grips tightly around his cock while something else, but still moist and wet, takes a place at his hole. He remembers the oil standing on the desk and his ears sharpen when someone behind him speaks. Zayn stops pounding into his mouth and Niall sucks air into his lungs. He hangs his head low, can feel the sweat drip from his forehead, saliva running from his still open mouth and his arms beginning to shake from leaning on them too long. He’s thankful that he’s still pissed, still angry with all of them, or otherwise he isn’t sure he’d be able to do this and still hold his head high in the morning. 

“Ni”, someone says behind him, breaking through his current daze. It’s Louis talking, Niall is sure, because he’s the only one yet using the nickname. 

There are fingers by his entrance, circling with what must be oil and a hand grasps his hip. The firm hand on his dick starts pumping and he tries to writhe as little as possible. 

“This might hurt”, Louis says. “Just, focus on your breathing.” 

Zayn lifts his head and Niall wonders just how he’s supposed to do that with him fucking into his mouth. But Zayn doesn’t do anything. He just kisses his cheeks and then stares deeply into his eyes. Niall holds on to his gaze, fearing what might come next. 

The oily finger prods and dips as far as Harry’s tongue went. It waits and then continues, pushing past the muscle and making Niall wail. 

“Don’t clench, don’t clench”, Louis commands roughly. “You have to relax and breathe.” 

The hand on his dick – Liam’s, he notices when he manages to throw a look back – works faster while the finger pushes further. It slides back out, then back in, and Zayn kisses him and caresses his cheek. Louis’s finger continues to slide in and out, hitting something inside that makes Niall’s thighs tremble and when he adds a second finger, Niall comes. 

“ _Shit_ ”, he spits and collapses face first into the mattress. 

He whines pathetically as he comes, squirting hotly against the covers. Liam’s hand leaves his limp cock and Niall manages to get an eye open, catching in a blurry vision as Liam licks his fluids off his hand. Harry is quickly by his side and Liam generously reaches his hand over to him and lets Harry lick the rest of the cum off. Isn’t that a lovely sight? The two enemies are finally brought together thanks to Niall’s sperm. And, wow, Harry sure is cleaning that hand thoroughly as he sucks on each one of Liam’s fingers. And it’s _hot_ to watch. 

Startling him, something wiggles inside of him and then twists sharply. Louis’s fingers are still inside of him, but now they seem to be three and they’re spreading as well as scissoring. 

“I think he’s ready”, Louis announces and Niall can hear the smirk in his voice as he says it. “How about it, Liam? Are you going to go first or are you a bit too caught up in your protégée over there?” 

Louis moves his fingers inside of him, pumps them in and out, and it sends blood rushing quickly enough to Niall’s dick again. Liam looks down at him, eyes clouded with darkness. 

“Do you want that, Niall? Do you want me to be your first?”

For some reason, Niall thinks that the one going first should be someone who has earned it. It’s stripping him of his virginity they’re talking about here and it shouldn’t be someone who’s been lying to him for a whole month to do it. Zayn would’ve been his first choice, but not even he could be honest with him. 

“Lou?” he mumbles and hates himself for it. Although Louis kept him from knowing about their secret fucking as well, at least he told him the complete truth when it came to it. But Louis only laughs behind him, his fingers wiggling inside of him again. “Sorry, Ni, but I’m going last.” 

Niall lies with his body in a complete heap and his cheek pressed to the covers underneath. His eyes are still glued to Liam’s and he doesn’t know what it is, but something in them makes him feel calmer, safe. It’s like Liam’s continuous lying all of a sudden doesn’t matter as much, as if the grudge have been held for far too long. It feels a bit like forgiveness and Niall finds himself nodding. 

“Yes, Liam, I want you to be my first.” 

The vampire moves on the last word, pulls his fingers away from Harry’s sucking lips and moves back. Now, Harry’s the one looking down at him with curls hanging in his eyes. Still in his daze, Niall reaches out to him and Harry quickly leans down so Niall can push the hair back. Grinning, Harry grips his wrist and kisses his palm. The Prince can’t help but smile back. 

Inside him, Louis’s fingers move again and his body jerks violently as Louis’s free hand delivers a smack to his hip. 

“On your hands and knees”, he reminds him in a teasing sing-song voice. 

It hits Niall that Louis is an expert at bringing out the anger inside of him, of bringing that heat to the surface. Maybe that’s a good thing and maybe he should be grateful, because without his anger he’d be nothing but a nervous wreck. 

He obeys and feels Louis’s fingers leave him, the muscles of his hole quivering for something to hold on to. New hands find his hips and he closes his eyes. 

“Wait”, Harry drawls next to him. “I want to be underneath him. Is that okay, Niall?” 

He nods, thinking it might be good to have something to hold on to, and moves over to straddle Harry’s body. His thighs close over Harry’s hips and his arms brace himself on either side of Harry’s head. The young vampire, the one close to killing him only a month ago, smiles and stares up into his eyes. Liam’s hands find his hips again and then, he’s pushing in. Niall’s mouth falls open, but not a word comes out as Liam continues until he’s fully inside. He waits shortly, then pulls back out again only to ram back in again. 

The blonde gasps out a whine, which comes out incoherently and ragged as Liam finds his pace. It’s not hard exactly or fast, but more of a firm pace as if Liam wants him to remember every stroke inside. In front of him, Louis and Zayn fall together on the bed, biting roughly and licking at the red skin around their mouths. Harry grips his neck, pulls him down to his lips and arches his back up just a little so the tip of Niall’s cock scrapes against his stomach with every thrust. Niall moans into their kiss, feeling as if something explodes behind his eyelids when Liam finds the right spot. Louis and Zayn growl at each other, Niall’s cock drips and leaks over Harry’s skin, the bed fucking _creaks_ as they move. Niall comes, again, all over Harry’s stomach and chest. He collapses with his head into Harry’s neck, mildly aware of Liam still fucking him until suddenly he follows and comes as well, filling him with his cum. 

There’s no time for Niall to rest though, because Harry is already pulling at his body and telling him to _lift_ and that’s what Niall does. Still straddled over Harry, the vampire slides into him and sharply bucks his hips up into him. Niall’s head is a sudden fog, he breathes hotly into Harry’s neck, still riding out his previous orgasm. Harry’s an eager one with his thrusts, one who obviously views fucking for exactly what it is: fun. One of his hands is holding on to Niall’s hip and the other cradles his neck and holds him close. Harry pants in his ear, grins smugly when he kisses Niall’s temple (he can tell) and fucks with the same kind of firmness as Liam. Niall can’t help but wonder if Liam’s been Harry’s teacher. Louis and Zayn are still play-fighting when he looks up. 

“Oh, fucking _shit_ ”, he curses when he feels Harry’s teeth bite just a bit too deeply into his shoulder. 

The wound isn’t big and right now it doesn’t annoy Niall like he thought it would. Instead, he moans when Harry sucks and presses his nails into Harry’s chest. Harry comes first, but Niall is quick to follow at the feeling of the vampire’s dick pulsing and twitching inside of him. They kiss each other messily and Niall tastes his own blood on his tongue, his head spinning. He feels a bit like a rag doll already, as someone pulls roughly on him and drags him away from Harry. Suddenly he’s on his back and facing Zayn. 

“I want you like this”, Zayn growls. 

He pushes Niall’s legs apart and fills the space with his body. Zayn keeps his lust-filled eyes locked with Niall’s as he grips his knees and pushes them up until Niall feels like he might break. The vampire leans down and kisses him, adjusts himself between Niall’s legs and then pushes in. It’s messy and Niall feels dirty with Harry and Liam’s cum leaking from his inside with every push Zayn delivers. Every time he thrusts inside, there’s a sloppy sound which gets even worse when Zayn’s balls hits him. 

Zayn grunts and nibbles at his jaw, bringing Niall closer and closer. It feels like he’s burning inside, as if Zayn’s dick is messing up a slowly healing wound within him. Niall feels absolutely wasted before he has even managed to get a release, head blanking and his body fiery red all over. He finds Zayn’s lips and attaches his own to them just as he finally comes. He breathes in sharply, feels his dick twitch but barely managing to let anything out. It fucking aches and Zayn hums low against his lips, right before coming as well. 

“Shit, shit, shit, shit”, Niall rambles with panic, because it still aches and he knows this is not over yet. Zayn kisses his neck softly, lingeringly, and Niall shakes his head and covers his eyes. 

“Stay with us”, Zayn mumbles, still on top of him. 

Niall continues to shake his head violently, because he can’t _take this_ anymore. It’s too fucking much, it feels too much. Their feelings are shoving down his throat, stuffing him up and now it hurts. It hurts in every muscle in his body, inside of him, in his head. He doesn’t have anything left to give. 

Someone grips at his hands, pulls them from his face and holds them down. 

“Stay with _me_ ”, Louis says into his face, seriously. 

That’s all it takes, Niall finds his anger, because _this_ is why Louis wanted to go last and Niall fucking hates him for it. He knew this would happen and now he wants to cherish every moment of it with his dick inside of Niall. He glares and he thinks Louis will smile down smugly at him, but for once he doesn’t. 

“Now, roll over and lie flat on your stomach.” 

Niall thinks of every way he’ll get his revenge on Louis later on, once he has enough strength, as he does as he’s told. He lies with his arms out at his sides, like Jesus hanging on the cross, and hopes Louis will take the hint. He stays like that as he feels the vampire straddle his tightly shut thighs behind. Louis doesn’t tell him to spread open for him, but instead he pushes hard into that tight heat and Niall immediately regrets his position. He tries to spread his legs because it’s starting to ache slightly, but Louis’s thighs are firmly clasped around his and keeping him still. 

With shallow thrusts, he pushes in and out – not far enough in to make Niall used to it and not far enough out to get rid of the pain. Niall bites down into the cover, doesn’t want to give Louis the pleasure of his moans, and digs his fingers into the fabric as well. Louis continues with his shallow pace and Niall thinks he’ll go crazy. He’s about to snap _something,_ threaten him with a death sentence or anything, when Louis pushes in fully. Niall’s whole body cramps up. He makes a sharp intake of breath and tries as hard as he can to pull away, to crawl away from Louis because he can’t take it. He clenches and he clenches and he clenches and Louis just keeps holding still, deeply sheeted inside of him, and Niall reaches back, tries to push at him or claw at him. 

“Be still”, Louis says and Niall wants to laugh hysterically at him, but he can’t manage a sound. 

He grips the covers again and tries to pull away again, can feel the edge get closer, manages to crawl just a little but it makes everything much worse as his dick drags against the fabric beneath. 

“Hold him”, Louis tells the others and they do. 

And shit, Niall hates all of them, hates them for what they’re doing to him, hates them for what they’re making him feel, hates them for who they are. To be free, that’s all he ever wanted. Wants. He still wants that. But now, he’s chained to their emotions, tearing him apart. He wants to scream at them and punch them, make them hurt too, but he can’t. He buries his face in the soft covers, feels tears prickle at his eyes as he jumps over the edge and comes dryly. 

The mix of pain and pleasure is so intense it makes Niall find his voice again. He lets out a dragged-out whine, more close to a sob. Through all of it, he thinks he notices Louis’s release. He can feel something pulse inside of him, hears his own ragged breathing as everything slowly becomes dark around him. Feeling exhausted to the bone, he more than welcomes unconsciousness. 

\- 

Zayn clasps a hand over the Prince’s mouth and puts a hushing finger to his own lips when Niall startles awake and looks up at him with big blue eyes. Harry’s moving behind him, throwing clothes for Niall on the bed and Zayn closes his eyes momentarily, wondering how exactly this is going to end. 

“We’re being attacked”, Zayn explains quietly and slowly lifts his hand from Niall’s mouth. “You gotta be quiet. We’re getting you out of here.” 

“What are you talking about?” Niall hisses, obviously annoyed. “What do you mean ‘being attacked’? By who?” 

“The High Vampiress”, Harry says, taking Louis’s earlier advice of being straight with Niall to save a load of time. Harry walks over, pulls the covers roughly from Niall and points at the clothes lying on the bed. 

“Get dressed.” 

Raising an eyebrow at them, Niall doesn’t move. Instead, he starts laughing at them and shakes his head. 

“You’re all fucking crazy”, he states. 

Zayn exchanges a look with Harry and then Harry grabs Niall and pulls him up from the bed. 

“This is not a joke”, he says and shoves the black t-shirt in the blonde’s hands. “Put your clothes on and come with us, or I’ll personally carry you out of here naked.” 

Niall’s brow furrows and all signs of even the slightest smile are quickly gone. He looks between the two of them and asks, with disbelief clear in his voice, “The High Vampiress? What does she want?” 

“You”, Zayn says and tilts his head to the side, catching Niall’s eyes as he looks up at him. Harry waves his hands in front of Niall, prompting him to get dressed already. The Prince puts his t-shirt on, still frowning, and then grabs the jeans. 

“Me? Why – “, Niall says, but is cut off by the door opening and Liam rushing inside. 

“We’re leaving. Now”, he says. Niall pulls his jeans on quickly, then Harry grabs his arm and starts leading him towards the door. 

“Wait, what about my parents?” 

No one speaks for a moment or two and Zayn can feel what’s happening, or what has already happened. It’s like dead weight looming in the air, putting invisible pressure on all of them. 

“They told us to leave”, is all Liam says, a lie. 

“But I have to say goodbye”, Niall continues, voice so determined they should all know it’s bound to cause trouble. 

“There’s no time”, Liam says, then nods to Harry who pulls Niall with him out of there, ignoring his protests. Zayn doesn’t move for a moment and he purposely avoids Liam’s eyes, avoids looking at him at all. It’s enough that he can feel the burn of his gaze in his back. 

“This is all your fault”, he says. 

Zayn knew this was coming, still he doesn’t think it’s really fair. “I didn’t know this would happen”, he protests through grit teeth. “I didn’t know anything.” 

“She’s your _maker,_ Zayn. How could you not know?” 

Zayn doesn’t know whether he should lie or tell the truth right now. Part of this might be his fault, part of this might be everyone’s fault. What’s important is that he didn’t know _this_ would happen. 

He opens his mouth to tell Liam what he probably wants to hear, but is interrupted by a loud scream echoing throughout the entire castle. They both immediately recognize who the scream belongs to and speed out of there, following the echo the scream left behind. There’s fire when they reach the hall in which the wedding reception was held the night before. The hall still looks pretty much the same, except now the flowers decorating the walls are helping the fire lick its way up to the ceiling and quickly turning every delicate flower into ashes. In front of them, Harry’s holding Niall tightly to his chest, keeping him from running towards the flames. The Prince must’ve run off. 

Zayn doesn’t understand what’s going on at first, why they’re here, but then he sees it, sees _them,_ recognizes two bodies lying next to each other in the flames – the King and Queen. Niall screams, cries and fights against Harry’s grip on him with every muscle he can find in his body. His agony hits Zayn, hits all of them, like a tsunami wave. It’s like barbed wire around his heart, someone pulling on the end strings tightly. It feels like getting a stomach punch and all air leaving you. Niall screams and Zayn grits his teeth, tries to keep his head clear. 

Liam runs over to help Harry, but Zayn stays put. He stares at the bodies crumpling in the fire, unable to move and he wonders just how long he can get away with stating that _this is not his fault._

“She did this.” 

Louis emerges next to him, staring at the flames like he’s hypnotized. The light reflects in his eyes and makes him look dangerous, murderous. 

“The High Vampiress did this. She’s crazy”, he continues. 

His eyes harden, narrow and Zayn follows his gaze into the fire. On the other side is suddenly a figure, someone standing and quietly observing them. Zayn doesn’t have to guess to know who it is, can _feel_ it with every fibre of his body, like a shudder. 

“Give him to me”, she says calmly, only for their ears and not meant for Niall to hear. “Give him to me and I’ll let you be.” 

Liam glances back at Zayn, eyes dark and unforgiving. Nobody responds to the voice. 

“Give the boy to me”, the High Vampiress says, louder this time so Niall can hear as well. Everyone keeps quiet and nobody moves. Only the sounds of the crackling flames and Niall’s choking sobs can be heard. 

There’s a sudden itch in Zayn’s ribs and underneath his tongue and when she starts calling Zayn’s name, he’s quick to turn around and start heading back where they came. It’s been many years since he was by her side and he hasn’t listened to her commands since, but he still can’t risk staying and hearing her, not now. 

The four of them speed out of there, Liam carrying Niall – who seems to have blacked out in shock – in his arms. The sound of the High Vampiress _laughing_ rings throughout the castle as they hurry their way to the garage and grabs one of the cars. None of them dares to look back as Harry drives out of there in the highest speed, leaving the castle as only a memory behind. 


End file.
